Burning Polaroids
by anon182
Summary: Cynthia Bluhme is just your average photographer in Gotham City. Or, so she seems. But when a certain clown starts to dig up her past, will she be able to keep it covered? Or will someone have to swoop in and save the day? OCxBatman DISCONTINUED.
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE: Incontri Accidentali

Tap... Tap... Tap... Tap... That was all Cynthia Elizabeth Bluhme could hear as she sat at her crowded desk, staring at the computer screen in front of her. Tap... Tap... Tap... Tap... Thank god she didn't share a desk with anybody. They would have been driven insane by the repetitive tap of Cindy's pencil. The same noise that was slowly bringing her to insanity as well. Or, perhaps... She was already there. Tap... Tap... Tap... Tap... Suddenly an article was shoved in front of her face and Cindy jumped, straightening up and sending a few stray sheets of paper flying to the floor. With a heavy sigh Cindy looked up to see who she already knew would be there.

Garrett Romero, Cindy's best friend looked down at her with a grin on his dark Italian face. He was nearly bouncing up and down with excitement and Cindy had to hold back an eye roll, already assuming the news he wanted to share. "Yes Garrett?" Were the only words she could seem to muster. Pulling up a chair, Garret sat down in front of her, his chest leaning against the back of the chair with his arms folded on top and his chin resting on his wrists. "Aren't you even going to ask for his name?" Cindy smirked softly. "Garret... After being your friend for as long as I have, I've learned to ask for details first, names later, and never ask questions." Garrett laughed, thinking nothing of what Cindy was saying. "Well fine. Point is, drank with him, slept with him, we're having lunch today. Can you cover for me today?" Cindy groaned. "Garrett..." She whined. This would be the third time this week she had covered for him. "It's the last time Cindy! I promise! And I'll make it up to you! We'll go shopping, my treat." Cindy frowned. "Of course it's your treat, you're the only buying anything." With a heavy sigh Cindy shut her eyes. "Fine. I'll cover for you."

With a squeal Garrett leaned forward and hugged Cindy. "Thanks! I'm heading out now!" Cindy frowned. "But you said lunch!" Garrett smirked. "Oh honey. I said you're covering for me. There fore I will be gone before my lunch break begins and back after it has already ended. Bye! Wish me luck!" Cindy sighed, looking back at her screen. "You won't need luck, you're already sleeping with him..." She muttered to herself. Why was it that her gay best friend had better luck with guys than she did? Oh well. There were somethings in this life that were better left not explained.

Glancing away from her computer screen, Cindy noticed the article that Garrett had shoved in her face as a distraction. A picture Cindy very much recognized adorned the front page, with a head line reading 'THE JOKER STRIKES AGAIN'. He really was Cindy's speciality. Not in writing, oh no. Cindy was not a writer. No, Cindy was a photographer. For some reason she was also in the right place at the right time, probably by virtue of the fact that she never went anywhere without her camera. Both a digital camera and a polaroid were kept in her purse, because she never knew which she would need more.

Skimming the article, Cindy didn't think too much of it. He had stolen a school bus, thankfully when no children were using it. Robbed a bank. Killed his workers. It was all pretty standard stuff to expect from the Joker. Cindy shockingly wasn't too afraid. There really was only one thing that truly terrified Cindy, and that was... A gun. You may laugh now, but with what she had gone through, a gun was the most terrifying thing any one person could own. With a shudder Cindy flipped the newspaper over so she couldn't see the photo she had taken. It would give her too much to think about, and it would be better and safer for everyone, if she just didn't look.

Hours later Garrett returned from his extended lunch break in a rather foul mood. Looking up, Cindy frowned. "Not the man you remember from last night?"

"Shut up. I don't want to talk about it."

"Oh but Garrett, I have to know the details."

"I said shut up."

"But you always love sharing the juicy de-"

"I said shut up! God damn it, you just not listen!"

Cindy blinked, shrinking back slightly. She didn't like to be yelled at, and especially not yelled at by her best friend. "F-Fine... If that's what you want." Cindy gathered up her stuff, getting ready to go. She did not want to deal with Garrett when he was acting like that. It really just ended terribly. Garrett could tell he had really upset Cindy and sighed heavily. "Cindy... I'm sorry, okay. He was just a real jerk, and I don't like it when you harass me like that." Cindy rolled her eyes. "When I harass you? What about all the times you harass me? When you beg me and guilt me and just push me around? Garrett, I love you, but right now, just leave me alone." Garrett scowled, narrowing his eyes slightly. "Well fine! I will!" He stormed off to his desk and Cindy closed her eyes for a moment to calm down. Garrett was just... Cindy didn't even have the words for it currently. She had all of her equipment, so she was going to go try and find some photographs for any future or current stories.

Walking out of the building, Cindy was immediately slapped in the face with the crisp, cool Gotham city air. Fall was turning to Winter and the leaves on the trees were a deep maroon and red, littering the once green grass. Then Winter would come, which Cindy never really looked forward to. The Holidays were just rough when your family was gone, and most of them had left during the Holiday season as it was. But Cindy had learned long ago that the more she dwelled on the upsetting topics, the harder it was to recover and calm down.

As she walked down the surprising barren sidewalks of her home city, the only noise apart from the occasional whizz of a car was the clip clop of her heels against the pavement. It was incredibly quiet this afternoon... Far too quiet for an afternoon in Gotham City. It made her wonder what was going on. Slowly pulling her polaroid out of her purse, Cindy wanted to be prepared. In a city like Gotham, the streets only got this quiet right before something serious was about to happen. That was when Cindy watched as a trashcan flew out of the alley in front of her with a loud crash. Covering her own mouth to keep from screaming, she heard the pained yells of someone else inside the alley. She had found her photo shoot.

Slipping out of her heels, Cindy silently approached the edge of the alley, peaking around the corner. Two men, far enough away from her she could make a run for it if necessary were talking in the alley. Well, talking really wasn't the right way to describe the scene in front of her. One man was on his knee, sobbing and begging, staring up at the men who had a hold of his shirt collar. The man on the floor was bloody, beaten, and bruised, while the man above was in a slick business suit. He was glaring down at the poor injured man, a knife in the hand that wasn't holding onto the injured mans shirt. Cindy was really just thankful he was using a knife and not a gun, otherwise she would have needed to run.

"Shut up!" The man above yelled, holding the knife to his cheek. "He doesn't care about your sniffling, he cares about the money you've lost him. About the money you say you can't pay back. That's all he cares about, and that's all I'm here for." Cindy quickly rummaged through her purse, turning on the recording device she kept handy. She would have to remember the snippet on conversation she had missed, but she was already busy clicking away pictures, having switched over to digital camera once she had seen the two men.

"But I'm telling you I can't! I just can't!" The man on the ground yelled, tears running down his dirty, bloody cheeks. The man in the suit looked down at him sadly. "I really am sorry to hear that." He pulled up his knife closer to his own eye level, examining it as if it were an antique to be purchased, but he was trying to find the flaw in it. Before anyone could have reacted, the knife was brought down, slashing the other mans throat. Blood gushed forward from the wound immediately and Cindy took one photo before turning, her back pressed against the wall outside the alley. She hated to see that much blood. And it was a shame she couldn't have saved that mans life. But she would have just died too.

Hearing footsteps coming her way, Cindy quickly took off running in the other direction. She needed to find a new hiding place, because if she was seen on the street in a skirt, holding a pair of heels and a camera, running away from a murder scene, everyone would know she knew something she shouldn't. Upon seeing yet another alley, this one deserted, Cindy turned into it, stopping to catch her breath. This was where she took the time to make sure everything was alright. Her cameras were put away, the recording device was turned off, and her heels were back on her feet. That seemed to be all that Cindy really needed to do. But now there was one thing wrong. She just couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched.


	2. Chapter 2

((I was pleased to see that my first chapter went so well. After uploading it, I noticed the night before I already had a couple people following. Well, I didn't want to leave those few people disappointed, and hope they like this new chapter. I also hope to gain a few more fans with this latest chapter.))

Chapter Two: Escondite

Cindy was indeed being watched. High above, almost in the skies, a single man stood on the fire escape at the top of the building. Cindy could feel eyes watching her, but saw that no one was in the alley with her. At least, not at ground level. Looking up, she found no one above her either. She was confused by this as well, because she still felt the presence of eyes watching her, almost hungrily. It felt like she was hunted. Not sure if she was imagining things out of adrenaline or not, Cindy decided it would be safest to go home to her apartment.

Walking the streets of Gotham, Cindy began to quicken her pace as she watched to sun begin to hide behind the towering buildings of the city. Cindy most definitely did not want to be out after dark. She knew she would be in trouble when the street lamps came on. That was when all of Gotham's citizens hid in their houses behind locked doors and barred windows, while the scum of the earth climbed out of the sewers. Plus Cindy just couldn't shake that feeling of being watched...

Seeing her apartment building in site over the slight incline of the sidewalk, Cindy felt her pulse lower. She was almost safe. She just had to walk a little bit longer. That was when she heard a light hum and the click of street lamps coming on. It was like she was on stage and the spotlight had just flipped on. She was a deer in headlights, because while the stage analogy worked in, it felt much more like she had been sneaking out of her house and the lights had been flipped on by an enraged father. No, she couldn't stop and dwell on things like this, she had to get home. She had a limited amount of time now. Very limited.

Cindy was nearly jogging in her heels, considering she was alone so she didn't care about looking like a fool. All she cared about was getting into her apartment. She was well aware that even when she was at the building, she still had to climb three flights of stairs and walk along a balcony to actually get to her door to unlock it. And unlocking her door was the worst, because she had to focus since the lock was very tricky.

Thankfully Cindy had finally arrived at her apartment building and took off her heels to race up the stairs. So what if she made noise and disrupted her neighbors? Then maybe if something happened they would come outside and be able to help her. Cindy could still feel the presence of eyes burning through the back of her head, deep into her brain and her soul. Now to just get to her door. Reaching the door, she pulled her keys out of her bag and started to try and unlock the door. It took her a few tries, but she finally got the door open.

"Room 423..." Cindy heard muttered behind her. Nearly jumping out of her skin she turned around, to only see nothing again. Was she hearing things? Oh god. She had better not be going insane, because she really would become insane if she ever had to stay in Arkham Asylum. Cindy had gone with Garrett to visit his suicidal cousin in there. It was a terrifying place, and in her opinion, made the patients worse than they had originally been. Speaking of Garrett, Cindy was so terrified she was ready to swallow her pride just to have someone to talk to. After locking her door, and double checking it really was locked, she sat on her couch and dialed Garrett's cell phone number.

Garrett had decided to give the guy he had gone out with a second chance, mostly because he had wanted to prove Cindy wrong. Prove that he could have fun with this guy. His date was going miserably though, so his plan really hadn't worked. Hearing his cell phone ring, Garrett smiled sweetly. "Excuse me, I need to take this." Really just any excuse to get away from him. Standing up, he walked away from the dinner table and checked the caller I.D. Cindy? He scowled. No excuse was worth that. He was still pretty irritated with her, and did not want to talk to her. With a smirk, he decided to be a real jerk about it and pushed ignore. Now she would know he didn't want to talk to her.

Cindy sat, listening to the phone ring... And ring... And ring... "Come on Garrett! You have to answer!" She yelled out to herself. That was when the ringing stopped and went to voicemail. But it was in the middle of a ring. Cindy's jaw dropped as she realized that he had ignored her. "Well fine!" She hung up, not bothering to leave a voicemail. If he wanted to ignore her, she wasn't going to give him a voicemail, the ass. But Cindy was starting to wish she had left a voicemail, as she watched the sun completely set out of the window in her apartment.

The darkness filled her apartment like a plague, gripping her with fear. Cindy wasn't sure what she should do. Get up and turn on a light, Reach across the couch to the lamp on the end table, or sit still in the darkness. It really was pitch black, considering she lived on the wrong end of the city. It was almost better to have the lights off, because if the light was on it would be like a beacon of light for the human roaches that lurked outside on the streets. Cindy took a deep breath, knowing she couldn't just sleep on the couch. She needed to go to her own bed and lock the bedroom door as well for a bit of added comfort.

Cindy bit her lip. "One..." She whispered, barely even audible to her, "Two... Three." On three she almost forced herself to her feet. Now she just had to walk to her bedroom. It wasn't too hard to walk to her room. She knew the way her apartment was built, but she still had to walk slow. The darkness was disorientating and she didn't know if she had left a book or a dish laying on the floor or something like that. Walking with her hand outstretched and taking slow, careful steps, she felt her way towards the hall way that her bedroom was down. Cindy was feeling pretty good about getting back to her own room, when her hand ran into something. That was exactly what her hand being out was for, so she didn't run into a wall, but... This didn't feel like a wall. It was a hard solid object, yes, but... It felt like... Clothes. And it was... Warm. Her eyes widened at the realization that she had ran into a human being in her apartment.

Cindy opened her mouth to scream, when a hand clamped down over her mouth. She immediately backed up to run, but a strong arm wrapped around her, pulling her to the strangers chest. She knew that it was a man, and he was wearing what felt like a tuxedo or a suit jacket by the amount of buttons on his front. But why the hell did she care about the clothes he was wearing! There was a strange man in her apartment, in the middle of the night, that she couldn't see, pretty much pinning her to his chest. She could hear a dark chuckle that was familiar, but it was like they were hiding the way they would normally sound, trying to keep her in the dark, no pun intended.

Cindy continued to struggle, feeling tears roll down on her cheeks. Whoever was covering her mouth wouldn't be able to tell though, considering he was wearing gloves too. Who was this guy? The chuckle continued and Cindy could feel her knees weaken, completely surrounded by fear. The chuckle continued to rise into a shrieking laughter almost like a hyena and a chill ran up her spine as she finally recognized the laugh that haunted peoples nightmares and filled the stereos of most local news channels. "I think I find my new toy..." The voice said, words dripping with a threatening promise of return. And that was when it got even darker, as Cindy slipped into unconsciousness.

Cindy woke up the next morning as the sun rose, being blinded by the light. She was laying on the floor, completely confused. What had happened last night? Why was she sleeping on her floor? Why hadn't she changed out of her clothes? Then Cindy looked up and her questions were answered. On her door, written in some kind of dark red paint said 'Till next time'. Cindy was staring at the words, not processing the meaning as quickly since she was trying to figure out what he had used to write it. Then her palm began to sting and she looked down, seeing that her hand had been cut open. Not a very deep cut, but enough to bleed quite a bit, and it had, looking at the blood on her clothes and the carpet. That's when it made sense.

'Till next time'. Written in her own blood, and signed. With a Joker card.


	3. Chapter 3

((Thank you all so much for the positive comments! I see more people are interested in Burning Polaroids, which is really nice actually. Just to let some of you know, this is my first fanfiction ever, and I am taking a big chance for me to put it online. Also, I am a writer to have the plot wrapped up in five chapter, but I am working really hard on this story to elongate it. I think I'm doing a fairly decent job. And one more thing, I go back to school in about two weeks, and I am a very busy student. I take private lessons in music, am involved in theatre, and take advanced classes. So updates will be more scarce, but I swear, the story will not die. Enjoy, and italics mean a flashback. In this chapter specifically it is the day after Chapter Two. Anything else is a week after.))

Chapter Three: Prendas de paz

It had been a week since that terrible night. Cindy had actually changed her work hours so she could out earlier, that way she could be in her apartment before darkness fell. Thankfully Cindy knew how to do basic bandaging so that the cut on her hand would heal, and wouldn't scar. She was having a hard enough time making up a story of why her hand had such a large gash, and keeping the story straight with so many people. The last thing she would need is a story to go with the scar.

Cindy had Garrett had thankfully made up. It was the usual makeup between the two of them. Cindy had invited him over to a cafe for coffee.

_Garrett walked into the cafe with a sigh. "I don't even know why I'm meeting you here." Cindy rolled her eyes, sitting at a cafe table with two coffees in front of her. "Will you just sit down. I ordered your favorite." He raised an eyebrow. "Vente Americano?" Cindy smirked softly. "With extra shots." Garrett couldn't help but smile softly at that, but the smile quickly faded as he reminded himself he was mad at Cindy. He took a seat. "So what do you want?"_

_Cindy frowned. "You damn well know Garrett. It's stupid that we're fighting. Since you don't ever have the balls to make an apology first, I'll start. I'm sorry that I teased you about your date. I'm just jealous that you can get a guy so easily, and no one ever seems interested in me. It's hard to watch sometimes, and so when the date went poorly, I felt better about myself and wanted to keep feeling better by teasing you about it. So I'm sorry. It was immature. Now your turn."_

_Garrett frowned, chewing on his lip. He was really bad at apologies. "Well... I'm sorry for yelling at you. I was just in a pissy mood. You know that I hate being wrong, and I especially hate being reminded that I was wrong. I was just being sensitive... I am really sorry. I don't like it when I hurt your feelings, frankly if it weren't for you, I probably would have become a male prostitute and sold my soul to some sugar daddy by now. So we're all good?"_

_Cindy smiled, ignoring the pang in her chest at the mention of Garrett even considering for one second to become a prostitute. "We're all good."_

Cindy was glad that her and Garrett were back to normal. Her life just seemed twice as hard without Garrett to make things at least more interesting. Speak of the devil, Garrett walked up to her desk with a smile. "Nice job on your latest story." Cindy laughed, liking it when Garrett called them her stories, when it was really just her photos. "Thanks." It was the poor man Cindy had caught being murdered in the alley on that fateful night.

_The next morning, after cleaning the blood off the wall and as best as she could out of her carpet and clothes, Cindy headed down to the police station. Showing all the photos to the Chief of Police, he immediately recognized the criminal, and with his permission, Cindy was able to get enough information for a writer to run a story using her photos. Naturally, Cindy knew exactly who to give the information to, but would first have to give a peace offering of a Vente Americano to make him agree._

"Well, your name is on this article too." Cindy added with a smirk. Garrett rolled his eyes. "Yeah, my name is on it, but the facts are all you. Check who says wrote it." Cindy raised an eyebrow and checked reading, 'Cynthia Bluhme and Garrett Romero'. Cindy frowned, "Why is my name before yours? You never put anyones name in front of yours. You always say that the name that's read first sticks with people the most." Garrett smirked. "And the name that deserves to stick is the name that did the most work. Nice job Cindy." He walked off and Cindy smirked. She really did have the best friend any girl could ask for.

Once work got out for her, Cindy waited outside for a taxi to get her home. She had decided to stop walking home after work, a car was just safer. And I'm sure you're thinking, why not just drive to work? Well Cindy wasn't going to give up her morning walk because of a scare from a psychopath. It may not have been the smartest idea, but it was the plan for Cindy, and she was sticking to it.

The taxi ride was uneventful, as always. She didn't really want to socialize with the taxi driver. Some people said you should because they were interesting people, but frankly, interesting was bordering a bit too close to freaky for Cindys comfort. So the taxi driver stayed, the taxi driver. Plus she never got the same one twice, so why try and spur a friendship with them? She paid the man as she got out of the car, said her usual thank you's and have a nice day before heading to her land lords office to check for mail, oddly enough she had something other than the average bill.

'You are codially invited to Bruce Wayne's charity ball tomorrow evening at 9 o' clock. Dress formally.' was typed out on a fancy sheet of paper, but written on the back it said 'I read your article in this weeks paper. Could use paparazzi like you at the party. Hope to see you there. -B' Cindy's heart was pounding. She had just been invited to a party for Gotham's elite. And not just one for the elite, but held by the Prince of Gotham himself. Bruce Wayne. I mean, every girl had a crush on Bruce Wayne. How could you not? Maybe Cindy would finally find herself a boyfriend. Not saying it would be Bruce Wayne, she doubted she would be his type, but someone at the party, maybe even one of the staff, would be interested in her.

Running up to her room, Cindy pulled out her phone and called Garrett.

"Hello?"

"Garrett! It's Cindy! We have to go shopping, like, now."

"Since when do you want to go shopping?"

"Since I just got invited to Bruce Wayne's charity ball tomorrow."

"... SHUTUP!"

"I'm serious! I'll pick you up in like five minutes, you have to help me pick a dress!"

"Uh, duh. I'm sorry honey, but we both know I have the fashion sense out of the two of us."

"Whatever, I'll be there in five. Bye!"

Cindy hung up with a grin. Garrett could be a pain in the ass sometimes, but he really did know what he was doing when it came to fashion. Cindy took a deep breath, changed what she was wearing to something more comfortable so she could try on lots of clothes, then got in her car to pick up Garrett.

Cindy arrived back at her house, very late at night. She hadn't really planned on staying out this late, but she had actually had fun with Garrett for once, and she wasn't going to just end something like that. She had only bought one outfit, much to Garrett's disappointment, but it was all she needed. A beautiful dress, a gorgeous pair of heels, and a few accessories Garrett swore she needed. Cindy was set for this event now.

Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Cindy decided to take a shower before getting into bed. A shower was a good way for her to relax her body and mind, and Cindy would need a good nights sleep to survive tomorrow. Unfortunately, Cindy was having a really hard time relaxing in the shower when the now all too familiar feeling of being watched returned. Cindy knew she was just being paranoid though. All of her doors and windows were locked, no one could be in her apartment, and especially not inside the bathroom.

She finished up her shower normally and slipped on a simple nightgown before getting in bed. Cindy still felt watched and shut her eyes, watching a series of frightening images flash before her eyes. Blood, guns, smoke, burning buildings, bloody bodies, Arkham Asylum, the Joker, the mob, her parents- Cindy's eyes snapped back open. She just couldn't sleep. Not with all that on her mind. Standing up, she took a few sleeping pills she kept just in case to deal with her insomnia. That made her feel a lot better. Getting back in bed, she shut her eyes and saw nothing but blackness that soon enveloped her in deep sleep.

Once she was asleep, a figure crept into the bedroom and picked the invitation off her nightstand. "Oh look. An invitation, just for me." With a cackle he knew couldn't wake her from her drug induced sleep, he replaced her invitation with his calling card and slipped the invitation in his pockets. "See you tomorrow night. I hope you wear something appropriate for the evening." With another laugh he left the room and left her to her nightmares.

((Sorry this chapter kind of turned into a filler chapter, but the next chapter will be interesting I swear!))


	4. Chapter 4

((Please keep commenting you make me laugh xD Also, warning. I'm bad at flirting and fight scenes, which are both in this chapter. Plus, I prefer the bipolar Joker that acts like a 4 year old.))

Chapter Four: Diviértase Crasher

Cindy was in the bathroom at Bruce Wayne's penthouse, outside the room where the event was being held. She was taking deep breaths, hands gripping the bathroom counter. She shouldn't be here. It was a bad idea, just begging to go wrong. She had seen the Joker card on her nightstand that morning, noticed how her invitation was missing. The Joker was pretty much promising he would make a guest appearance at the event, Cindy wasn't an idiot, but... The chance to meet Bruce Wayne. And if the Joker did show up, then she would be the reporter on the scene and would have the story ready first.

Cindy really should stop worrying. She wasn't an idiot. And she bet that Joker knew it, and wouldn't show up. He was just trying to spoil her night. Yeah... That was it. Smiling softly, she looked at herself in the mirror. Garrett had gone all out, even with doing her hair. He hadn't done much to it, but it was in messy, wavy curls and he had given her bangs on a whim. It had scared the crap out of her. He was using a curling iron and hair spray, then he pulled out a pair of scissors and just chopped a chunk of her hair off. It made her seem daring in his words.

Then for the actual outfit. She was in a simple black dress, sleeveless, no cleavage or anything, went to about mid thigh, but the back was completely open and stopped probably right above her butt. And Garrett had forced her into a pair of stilettos that were a bright, bright red. Garrett had also given her long dark lashes with lips that matched her heels. She hoped she didn't look like a slut. Garrett said it was a sophisticated sexiness, but Cindy knew nothing of this stuff, so she just trusted him.

Cindy walked into the room, her black purse at her side as well. It had a pen, pad of paper, cameras, and recorder. Everything a good reporter should have, especially at an event like this. Scanning the crowd, Cindy found herself greeted by an elderly man with a plate of champagne. "Oh, no thank you." She was a total light weight, and getting wasted right now would be a bad idea. "Are you quite sure? There are plenty of people who are, I believe they say, hammered already." Cindy chuckled softly. "I wouldn't really like to join them..." The man nodded and walked off.

"Sorry if Alfred is harassing you." Cindy turned around in confusion, having to double check at who had addressed her. She was now staring at Bruce Wayne. "Um, Alfred?" Bruce chuckled. "Yes, that would be the butler you just spoke to. Though he is more of a father figure for me." Cindy smiled softly, trying not to get nervous and freeze up. "Oh no, he wasn't harassing me at all. He was just being polite." Bruce smiled. "Good, I'm glad. And you are?" Cindy blinked. He didn't realize that she was the reporter? "Cynthia Bluhme. Photographer." She held out her hand to shake.

Bruce smirked and picked it up, kissing the back of it. "Ah, the reporter." Cindy smirked. "Not a reporter. Photographer. Garrett was just being nice by giving me credit." Bruce raised in eyebrow, slightly confused. "Garrett?" Cindy frowned. "Sorry, my friend. The reporter who wrote the story. I found the facts and the photos, he made it look good." Bruce smirked. "So you did the dirty work and he cleaned it up?" Cindy grinned. "Exactly!"

Bruce laughed. "So if I asked you to interview me? What would you say?" Cindy blinked, trying to come up with the appropriate response. "I would interview you, but I don't promise it to be the best interview you've ever had. But I can take an amazing photo to go with the average interview. Don't expect to be front page though." Bruce smirked. "What? You don't think I'm good enough for the front page?" Cindy laughed. "Of course I do!" Bruce smirked. "Why is that?"

Cindy frowned. "Because you're Bruce Wayne?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well people are bound to read things with your face attached to them?"

"Are you telling me I look good?"

"That depends, do you want me to?"

Cindy grinned, enjoying the playful banter between the two of them. Bruce just chuckled at her last comment. "Would you like a glass of champagne?" Cindy bit her lip lightly. "I really shouldn't..." Bruce grinned. "But you really want to..." Before Cindy had the chance to accept, or decline, but most likely accept, there was a loud gun shot and multiple screams.

The gun shot sent Cindy into a crouch on the ground almost immediately, covering her ears with her hands. Not a gun. Why a gun? Cindy just couldn't handle a gun. Bruce's eyes widened, wanting to check on her, but... Duty calls. he couldn't worry about one person. He ran off, Cindy not even noticing him leave. An all too familiar cackle filled the room and Cindy shakily stood up, watching a crowd of people flood towards her.

The Joker was walking out of the doors, watching the crowd move back like a herd of sheep, and him the Shepard. Though, Joker wasn't much of a Shepard. He was more of the wolf out for blood. So who would be his little lamb? With a sick grin, Jokers eyes fell on his victim of choice.

As the crowd surged forward, Cindy found herself being pushed to the front closest to Joker for some reason. No! No, no, no, no, no! She was not going to be near that freaking maniac! Cindy started to try and push back into the crowd, feeling a gloved hand on her shoulder spin her around. "Going so soon? But I've only just arrived."

Cindy's eyes widened, trying to back away from him, but as she went to move, his grip on her shoulder tightened and she felt her knees giving way at the pain shooting through her body. "Let go of me!" He smirked. "You wouldn't dream of abandoning your date?" Cindy was in complete shock and confusion over that statement. "You're insane!" Joker laughed. "Ah ah ah. I never do things twice. And besides..." He pulled out her invitation. "I took your invitation, you took mine! You're my date! Come on, let's get some punch!"

Grabbing Cindy's hand, Joker pulled her over to a table where drinks were for people who didn't have a waiter near them. Grabbing a champagne glass, he quickly chugged the contents and took a second. "Come on, it's a party. Live a little." Cindy just stared at him disgust, slowly backing away from the table. Joker rolled his eyes and pulled a knife, laying the edge against her jugular. "I would seriously reconsider." Cindy's eyes widened. "What the hell do you want?" He smirked. "What do I want? I just want to have a little bit of fun is all. Is that so bad?"

As Cindy opened her mouth to say something that she had hoped to be a witty comeback or a plea for survival, a dark figure jumped over her and crashed into the Joker, knocking him to the floor. Cindy jumped back, covering her mouth to keep from screaming as she watched the two men struggling on the floor in front of her.

"Hey! Paws off Bats! I saw her first!" Batman growled, landing a punch on Jokers jaw. He merely laughed in response to the blow, kicking Batman in the stomach and watching him fly backwards into the table of refreshments. Joker stood up, dusting himself off. "Till next time sweets." Before anyone could even blink he jabbed Cindy in the side with his knife and ran off, howling with laughter as he went.

Cindy's eyes widened and she fell to her knees, in so much shock she couldn't even scream. She saw people being ushered out of the room, saw a man standing over her. He seemed familiar... What was his name? Alfred. That was it. Alfred was over her. But why? Before that question could be answered Cindy found herself slipping into unconsciousness from blood loss.


	5. Chapter 5

((Along with magical flashbacks in italics, dream sequences are in italics as well. Also, I have something rather serious to share with my now loyal fans. It appears that writing my stories is actually causing a problem for me. I had my first nightmare I've had in a good five years recently, and it was related to my stories. My mom and best friend say I should take a break, but I am trying to give you one last chapter. But if these nightmares persist, I may have to take a hiatus. Hopefully I recover and the chapters keep flying out. Either way, enjoy this latest chapter.))

Chapter Five: Incubo

_Cindy smiled softly at her sister, continuing to cook their dinner. "Cindy, when is Dad coming home?" Cindy frowned softly, wondering how to address that question. "I don't really know. We'll hear the car though." Cindy finished cooking, dishing up their plates. Amanda frowned. "Cindy?" Cindy continued to try and smile at her little sister. "Yes?" Amanda frowned, obviously trying to think of what to say. "Why do Mom and Dad yell so much?" Cindy sighed. "You'll understand when you're older Amanda." Amanda scowled. "But I'm only two years younger than you!" Cindy shook her head. "Just trust me Amanda. The less you know the better."_

_Finishing her dinner, she took her plate to the sink, Amanda following when she was done. That was when they heard it. A car slowly pulling up to the house, and a very loud car door slam with shouts of profanity. Cindy chewed on her lip. "Come on Amanda. Time to play your favorite game." Amanda frowned. "Cindy, this is your favorite game." Cindy rolled her eyes. "I don't care. We're playing the sleeping game. Get in bed." Amanda pouted. "I want to say good night to Dad! Why can't I say good night to Dad!" Cindy frowned, knowing she had to be hard on her sister now. "Amanda! Get in bed! Now!" Cindy felt her heart breaking as Amanda's eyes welled up with tears before she ran up the stairs to her room._

_Cindy took a deep breath, doing her usual routine of hiding the knives and other utensils and locking all the kitchen cabinets. Then she made sure to put out a beer and pack of cigarettes on the table for her father when she walked in. Thank god Mom was already in bed. The door flew open with a crash and Cindy flinched, grabbing a broom so that she appeared busy sweeping the floors. A man who looked an awful lot like an older, masculine version of Cindy sat at the table, opening the beer without a word. Cindy had words on the tip of her tongue. 'How was your day? Guess what happened in school today. I got one hundred percent on my spelling test!' But Cindy knew better, she knew her father didn't care._

"_Daddy?" Amanda was at the foot of the stairs in a nightgown and the man at the table looked up, his eyes filled with anger. Cindy's eyes widened. "Amanda! I said to go to bed!" Amanda's lip quivered. "But! But! But! I wanted to say goodnight!" Their father rose from the table and smacked Amanda across the face. "Shut up! I've been to hell and back today and I don't need to listen to your god damn whining!" Amanda started to really cry, having never struck by her father. "B-But Daddy..." He slapped her again and Cindy grabbed her fathers arm. "Dad stop it!" He shoved Cindy back, her small body slamming into the kitchen table. "I thought I taught you better manners Cynthia..." He grabbed a wooden spoon Cindy had forgotten out of the sink. "I guess I have to teach you again."_

"No! Please!" Cindy's hands were outstretched and she was sitting straight up in a large, comfortable bed she didn't recognize. Pain shot through her side and she collapsed against the bed again, closing her eyes and gritting her teeth to try and ignore the pain that she felt. Her heart was still racing from her nightmare and her skin was coated in a cold sweat. "It appears you're awake." Cindy's eyes shot open, looking over to where the voice was. It was... Why did she keep forgetting his name? "Alfred, is it?" The man nodded and Cindy frowned, trying to remember where she was and more importantly why she was here. "What's going on? Where am I?"

Alfred smiled kindly at her. "Relax my dear. You are at Master Bruce's pent house. He didn't see any reason to take you to Gotham General, what with my medical experience. So I stitched you up and we got you a bed to stay the night in." Cindy frowned, nodding slowly as she processed everything. "I have to go. I have work-" "Master Bruce took the liberty of calling your boss and arranging a week of vacation." Cindy was in complete shock. "But, I'm going to get fired!" Her boss hated her enough as it was for her track record of being late, and now taking a week off? She was dead. "No Miss, you are most definitely not going to be fired. Now, would you like something to eat? Or would you like to rest more?"

Cindy really had to idea how in the world she could respond to that. Someone was offering to make her breakfast? She had grown up cooking for herself, and often times others, but never being cooked for. Not since she was able to remember at least. "Um..." That was when Bruce walked into the bedroom. "I would go make her some breakfast Alfred." Alfred stood up, "Yes Master Wayne." He left the room and Cindy frowned. Too much was happening at once now.

Bruce took a seat at the end of the bed. "Nightmare?" Cindy frowned, hugging her knees to her chest underneath the sheets. "Why are you helping me?" Bruce sighed. "I felt guilty you got hurt at an event I invited you to. And I'm also rather curious as to why you extended my invitation to... Him. But then, I realize he wouldn't have come if you weren't here. And you were here because of me." Cindy didn't really take his attempt at humor at saying she had invited the Joker to the party very well. "I did not invite him. And I don't know why he was here. I just want to go home."

Bruce frowned. "Home? To an apartment on the wrong side of town? You're too injured to defend yourself should something happen. You're actually too tiny as it is to defend yourself regularly." Cindy's jaw dropped at that comment. "I can take care of myself! I've taken care of myself my whole life!" Bruce smirked. "Which is why Batman had to swoop in and save you?" Cindy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, and he did an excellent job of catching Joker and saving me, didn't he?" Bruce seemed a bit hurt by that comment and Cindy raised her eyebrow. Why did he look offended about her opinion on Batman.

Cindy shut her eyes for a moment. "You know what, I don't care. I just want to go back to work, see my friend, and get back to my life." Her life had finally started to become normal, the last thing she needed was to start getting stalked by a clown. Bruce sighed heavily. "Will you please calm down? I'm sorry. But I think it would be safest for you to stay here for awhile." Cindy glared. "What are you going to do? Hold me captive? I can leave any time I want to!" Bruce frowned. "You aren't even going to be getting out of bed for awhile with a stab wound like that. You're lucky he didn't kill you. So will you just shut up and take this hospitality graciously?"

Cindy scowled, really not enjoying being told what to do as an adult in her mid twenties. What did he know? He was just some rich pretty boy. But he technically had saved her life... Well, not him, but his caregiver. It just seemed wrong to call him a butler after everything he had done and how Bruce had described him. Sighing heavily, Cindy let her shoulders slump. "Fine. I'll stay here." Bruce smirked. "Don't sound too enthused." Alfred walked in with a plate of fresh pancakes, bacon, and eggs. "I do hope you finish all of this Miss. If you don't mind me saying so, you really are much too thin for your own good."

Cindy smirked softly, deciding she could get along with Alfred pretty well. She really was thin, and not in a healthy way. It was mostly from a lack of money for things like a well balanced diet. "You really don't have to call me Miss, Alfred. Just call me Cindy." Alfred smiled. "Miss Cynthia then." Bruce chuckled. "You won't get him to call you anything less formal than that. Unless you drug him." Alfred frowned at that comment, knowing Bruce was referring to a time where Alfred had been injured and, due to the medicine he was on, kept calling him Bruce.

Cindy smiled and finished eating the breakfast, eating everything but a few pancakes. "I don't see how anyone could eat that much food Alfred, really." He merely smiled and left with the dishes. Bruce smiled softly at her. "Do you need more sleep? Alfred put you on some heavy medication, and you also went through a pretty traumatic experience, sleep may be good for you." Cindy shrugged, feeling relatively tired. "I suppose I could sleep a bit more..." She yawned and let herself collapse against the plush around her. She fell asleep almost instantly and Bruce walked out with a smirk. That was when the next nightmare began.


	6. Chapter 6

((Your author is pleased to say her sleep is no longer disrupted. Though it was. I was suffering from sleep deprivation which caused me to hallucinate and gave me anxiety attacks. But I got some sleep and am feeling a lot better. So here is your latest chapter and I'm getting write on the next one. Enjoy!))

Chapter Six: Confesiones encantadoras

Cindy had been living with Bruce Wayne for a month. That still sounded strange to her. She was living with someone. That's what was stranger. Living with Bruce Wayne didn't feel weird to her anymore. Cindy had felt a month was excessive, but Bruce said her wound would take six to eight weeks to heal, and she wasn't allowed to leave till it healed. Thankfully when she had started moving around the mansion on her own, he let her go to work. She still had to return to the manor after work though. Garrett was dying to know why she had missed so much work, and all she said was she had gotten sick. Garrett was sweet, but if he found out she was... Living with Bruce Wayne, he would have a field day with all his blogging.

So here she sat in her... Room. This was all so strange. Cindy remembered growing up in a small house on the wrong side of town, sharing a room with her sister. Two bedrooms, one bathroom, and a kitchen. It was all Cindy needed, because it was all she ever had. And now living in a two story house, having her own room, on her own floor. She had her own bathroom inside her room with a walk in closet. It was like a dream. She was a princess. Cindy felt like a little girl, referring to herself as a princess. She knew her fantasy would end soon though. Just a few more weeks, and Cindy would be completely healed. When that happened it was back to her old apartment.

It was Saturday and around 11:30 AM. Alfred would probably be starting lunch soon. Cindy had started helping Alfred make meals, to try and pay Bruce and Alfred back for letting her stay. Alfred of course didn't like it, so he never told her when he would start making the meals, even go as far as making the meal hours in advance. So Cindy had learned how early was too early, and when to start hanging out around the kitchen to catch Alfred when he started and help.

She headed down the stairs towards the kitchen as Bruce was going up. "You're not helping Alfred today." Before Cindy could open her mouth to reply, Bruce grabbed her hand and started walking her down the stairs. As Cindy's cheeks heated up to a bright pink, Bruce continued to talk. "I was coming upstairs to get you. I want to show you the grounds. You're getting too cooped up in here." Cindy was speechless by virtue of the fact he was holding her hand. Cindy had begun to develop feelings for Bruce, as any woman would living with a play boy billionaire around her age. But this was the first type of any sort of physical intimacy the two had shared.

Her brain finally beginning to work, Cindy formed a sentence. "Where are we going?" Bruce looked back at her as he pulled her a long, a playful smirk on his lips. "You'll see." Cindy's face heated up even more at the thoughts that raced through her head. Bruce seemed not to notice the discoloration of her face, maybe he thought it was because of the cold winter air in Gotham. Cindy did know though, that with the paleness of her skin, the color was noticeable with how hot her skin felt.

Before long, Bruce had led Cindy into the gardens. There were trees with leaves turning color, the pathways coated in these leaves. Flowers and hedges surrounded them and Cindy continued to feel like she was living a fairy tale. Bruce stopped walking, looking out towards an area of the lawn that was covered in boards. Filled with her insatiable curiosity, Cindy just had to ask. "What's that?"

Bruce sighed heavily, his eyes looking as if he were seeing back in time. "A hole. My father boarded it up after I fell in when I was little. I was running around with a friend here, and suddenly the earth gave way beneath me and I fell. Then the bats surrounded me. It was pretty traumatic, bats still give me chills." Cindy frowned, trying to think of a comical way to change the subject. "You can't be a big fan of Batman then." Cindy grinned as Bruce began to chuckle, feeling she had succeeded. "I'm not a fan, but I'm not against him. He's necessary. What do you think of the Batman?" Cindy frowned. "Well, he saved my life. I would love to be able to thank him."

Bruce nodded. "Well I didn't bring you out here to talk to you about Batman. I wanted to talk about how you're healing." Cindy frowned slightly. "And when I'm moving out?" Bruce sighed, looking away. "Yeah... That. I've kept you locked up in here long enough. You can move out tonight." Cindy bit her lip softly. "Oh... Okay." She went to head into the house and Bruce grabbed her arm. "Wait. You didn't let me finish. You can move out tonight. If you want to. Or... You could move in. Permanently. And not because you're injured." Cindy blinked, confused. "What? Oh. It's to keep me from hurting myself again. Isn't it." Bruce frowned. "You could say that. Or... Maybe I just want you to live with me."

Cindy's head was racing. He wanted her to move in? Just... Because. "But... Wh-" Bruce pulled Cindy tight against his chest and kissed her deeply. Cindy felt her heart stop, her brain freeze, the world seemed to stand still. Then she began to kiss back and her chest was filled with a burning heat, butterflies tossing and turning within her stomach. She was dreaming. She had to be dreaming. She always had strange dreams, this was just another one. But this was too real to be a dream. She could feel his muscular chest pressed against hers, his thick arms wrapped around her waist, and she could feel his hair in her hands.

Separating for air, Bruce smirked at the blush coloring Cindy's cheeks and gently brushed his knuckles down her cheek. "It's cute how you blush like that." He kissed her again before Cindy could respond and she melted against his chest. For once, Cindy felt completely safe. And even better than feeling safe, Cindy felt... Wanted.

That night, Alfred had a bigger smile that usual as he served dinner. Obviously Bruce had told them how they were... Dating. Cindy's heart still sped up a little when she thought that. Cynthia Elizabeth Bluhme was dating... Bruce Wayne. It was so.. Un-real. After dinner, Cindy helped clear plates, though Alfred wouldn't let her do the dishes. Cindy was okay with it though, and headed upstairs to shower.

After showering, Cindy went into her room with a towel wrapped around her waist, eyes widening when she saw Bruce sitting on her bed. "Bruce? What are you doing in here?" Bruce looked up from the book he had been reading and smirked. "Did you know you take long showers?" Cindy frowned, her face a bright red. "You aren't answering my question Bruce." Bruce walked forward with a smirk, his face reading that he wanted to see what was underneath the towel. "I just wanted to know if you wanted to share a bed tonight." Cindy turned her head away from him. "Bruce you asked me out this morning, and now you want to sleep with me?" Bruce grinned. "That sounds about right."

Cindy sighed heavily, not sure how she felt about this. I mean, of course she would love to sleep with him. He was Bruce Wayne, and they were dating now, but... "I'm sorry Bruce. We haven't even been dating for a day. I want to wait." Bruce frowned, obviously a little sad he was being turned down. "Don't you want to?" Cindy sighed heavily. "Of course I do Bruce, but... Let me ask you something. You're Bruce Wayne, play boy billionaire Bruce Wayne. You could have any girl you wanted. Why me?" Bruce frowned. "You're right. I could have any girl I wanted." He wrapped his arms around Cindy, who was trying to make sure her towel covered her. "And I wanted you." He said, kissing her.

Cindy felt her insides start to heat up, her body melting against his. The desire to remove the towel and the rest of his clothes was so great. But she just wasn't ready. Not since... The incident. Cindy had practically blocked it from her memory, and it just came crashing back down on her. She pulled away from Bruce with a frown. "Then you have to be patient. Willing to wait for me." She kissed Bruce's cheek. "Please. I'm..."

Bruce raised an eyebrow, frowning slightly. Something had clicked. "Cindy... Are you a virgin?" Cindy blushed yet again, more out of a frustration he would assume that. I mean, it kind of was true. Sort of... She didn't really know what to call it now. But it was better to agree than share the truth. At least at the moment. "Y-Yes..." Bruce frowned and kissed her forehead, not used to dealing with virgins all that often. "I'm sorry. I won't push you. I promise. I can wait." Cindy smiled softly, eyes shut. She could keep her secret. For one more night at least. But a lot of her skeletons were going to have to come out of the closet pretty soon now that she had a boyfriend.

((Aren't I just evil with cliffhangers? ;) Comment more please! I love reading them!))


	7. Chapter 7

((I almost gave you a super long paragraph, but then I thought about the satisfaction of making you wait for yet ANOTHER update. Enjoy.))

CHAPTER SEVEN: Luche Primero

Cindy was at a little corner coffee shop with Garrett, smirking. She had told him earlier she had a big surprise for him, but wouldn't tell until lunch. So Garrett took her out for lunch, his treat, in exchange for the information, and permission to blog about it if it was worthy. Her response was 'Oh it's worthy.' So now Garrett sat bouncing up and down in his seat out of excitement.

Cindy grinned, loving feeling like she had this power over him. "So what are you having?" He scowled. "Jesus Christ Cindy! You've tortured me long enough, now tell me!" Cindy laughed. "Okay, okay. I have a boyfriend." Garrett raised an eyebrow. "That's it? Not that I'm not happy for you, but come on? Blog worthy?" Cindy smirked. "You don't even know who it is." Garrett rolled his eyes. "Do I even know him?" Cindy grinned. "Not personally." Garrett sighed. "Okay, getting sick of these little games. Who?"

"Bruce Wayne." Garrett fell backwards out of his chair and Cindy jumped, a waitress immediately rushing over to see if he was fine. Garrett shoved her away. "I'm fine I'm fine! Unless you have a cute gay waiter who is willing to bring me ice." He got back into his chair. "Don't scare me like that Cindy. Who are you really dating?" Cindy smiled. "Garrett, I'm telling the truth." Garrett frowned. "Girl, I love you, so forgive me for this. But why would Bruce Wayne date you?" Cindy frowned. "I've been living with him for the past month, he asked me out yesterday."

Garrett nearly choked on his coffee. "You've been LIVING WITH HIM!" He had to take a deep breath. "No. You are not dating Bruce Wayne." That was when the little bell on the door of the cafe dinged and Bruce walked in, sitting beside Cindy. "Am I on time?" Garrett was sitting there frozen in shock. Cindy smiled. "You're right on time Bruce." He smirked and kissed Cindy gently before turning to Garrett. "I'm sorry, I forgot my manners." He held out his hand. "Bruce Wayne. You must be Garrett? Cindy's talked about you a lot. I was nervous at first, till she told me you weren't interested in her." He smirked and Garrett shook his hand dumbly.

Cindy smirked at Garrett. "Told you I wasn't lying. I wanted you two to finally meet, so I invited him to lunch with us. You're okay with that right?" Garrett blinked and nodded, still in shock. He then suddenly snapped back to reality. "I may need to go back to work early so I can blog this." Bruce frowned. "Now hang on a second. While I was okay with Cindy telling you, and I'm okay with being seen in little hole in the wall cafes, this can not go on the internet." Garrett frowned. "But... Cindy promised I could blog."

Bruce scowled. "And I say you can't. I'm trying to keep this from the press for as long as possible, because they will be hell once they arrive on my door step. Any ounce of privacy Cindy has will disappear. And if you blog that we're dating, it will get to the press. So you can't blog this, and you can't tell anyone." Garrett pouted. "What good is dating a billionaire play boy if you can't brag about it." Cindy frowned. "Garrett. If the press know, then everyone will know everything about me. And I mean EVERYTHING." Garrett blinked, it making sense now. "Alright... That's true. I'll keep quiet." Bruce smiled softly with relief. "Thank you."

After lunch Bruce left in his car and Garrett and Cindy caught a cab. "Why didn't he drive us back to work?" Garrett asked and Cindy sighed. "That would point a big bullseye on one of us. They would wonder which one of us is dating someone rich enough to afford that car. They would probably guess you, and wonder what rich man in Gotham was gay. Then Bruce would be labeled as gay and when we told the press we were dating I would just be his cover." Garrett sighed. "This press thing is complicated..." Cindy chuckled. "Not really. We are the press. Imagine if you saw Dave and Laura getting out of that car." Garrett frowned. "Okay good point."

Walking back into the building Garrett sighed. "I just can't believe it. My little Cindy is dating Bruce Wayne. Tell me, you two done it yet?" Cindy blushed, hating how frequent that was becoming. "No! Garrett, you remember what happened right after we met. I just... Can't." Garrett frowned. "Cindy, I know you don't like thinking about your past. But it's holding you back now. Are you really going to stay frigid forever now?" Cindy scowled. "No. I'm just... I'm just not ready yet. I will be soon though. I'm sure of it." Garrett shrugged. "Okay. I just know if it were me, and I were dating Bruce Wayne, I would get in his pants as soon as possible."

Cindy rolled her eyes and went back to her work table, not realizing how loud Garrett had been and the smirk on the reporter next to her.

The next morning Cindy had woken up a little bit late. She showered, got dressed, and headed for the door. She could get breakfast later. She could not be late. Opening the door to the mansion, Cindy was instantly blinded by the flashes of photographs. She almost fell over and immediately people began shouting questions, all blurring together into an endless stream of yelling. Bruce could hear it from the kitchen, where he was sitting with a cup of coffee. Running over to the door he pulled Cindy in and slammed the door shut, muttering curses under his breath.

He was glaring in front of him, pacing. "He told." Cindy blinked, still disoriented. "What?"

"He told! You're bastard of a friend told the press!" Cindy was in shock. "Garrett? No! He promised! Garrett wouldn't break a promise." Bruce shook his head. "Why are you so delusional Cindy? People don't keep promises! This isn't day care!" Cindy scowled and grabbed his arm, "Will you quit pacing? God... I swear, Garrett didn't say a word." He shoved her away, frustrated. "Shut up! I know he told them!"

Cindy stumbled back, feeling hurt now. Visions of fists crashing into her, furniture getting smashed against walls. She felt like a child now. "Look at us... We've been dating for three days and we're already fighting..." She muttered almost silently. Then her phone rang. She hadn't planned on answering, but when she saw it was Garrett she had to answer. "Pleas tell me it wasn't you." She said.

"It wasn't! I swear to god! You're on the front page Cindy, you and Bruce. Emergency release, from our paper. The author is anonymous, but I asked around here. It was Kevin. The sneaky little rat. He was listening to us yesterday and told the editor. It wasn't me!" Cindy smiled softly, at least she knew it wasn't him. "I'll tell Bruce... Maybe he'll calm down." Garrett frowned, recognizing that tone of voice. "Cindy you're crying. What's happening?" Cindy bit her lip. "He's angry... Reminds me of Dad." Garrett scowled, instantly going into Mama bear mode. "Cindy, if you don't feel safe you get the hell out of that house. I already told the boss you aren't coming in, and I'll take the day off." Cindy smiled. "I'm fine Garrett... I promise. Bye." She hung up before he could convince her to leave.

Bruce was in the doorway, still looking as furious as ever. "Who was that?" Cindy frowned, not liking how he was acting. "Garrett..."

"Give me your phone."

"Why should I?"

"To call him and give him a piece of my mind."

"He didn't do it! A co-worker of ours was eavesdropping, wrote the story quick and simple, and gave it to the editor. He printed it without a second thought and now it's front page news! If it's Garrett's fault, It's mine too!"

Bruce glared at Cindy, frustrated beyond belief. But now that he knew he was wrong, he had to calm down. "Why are you even crying..." Cindy turned her back to him. "You pushed me..." Bruce rolled his eyes. "God... You're acting like a four year old." Cindy glared at him. "I can act like whatever I want to!" Bruce scowled. "Oh really?" Cindy scowled. "God, you're just like my dad." She brushed past him, heading upstairs to her room as tears streamed down her face. Bruce followed, a bit more concerned now. "The hell do you mean 'like your father'?" Cindy frowned. "Forget it Bruce! Just leave me alone for awhile!" She ran into her room and Bruce followed. "Tell me."


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8: Las lágrimas del Pasado

Cindy shut her eyes, sitting on the bed with her back to the doorway. She was still crying, really not wanting to tell. Bruce was standing behind her now. "Tell me." He said again. Cindy didn't respond, keeping her eyes shut and her body rigid. Bruce sighed heavily, trying to reign in his emotions. "Cindy... I'm sorry. I was just... Frustrated. Please, tell me about your father." He sat down behind Cindy. "I want to know."

Cindy frowned, thinking it over. She didn't want to break up with him. Not so soon. And not right after they went public. The press was going to dig up exactly what she should have to tell him. It really would be better if she was the one to tell him. "O-Okay... But I'm going to warn you. It isn't a happy story." Bruce smiled reassuringly. "Who's past is?"

Cindy smiled weakly, feeling better about sharing with him now. "I guess I should start at the beginning. My parents never married. When my mom was pregnant with me, she decided she and my dad had to move in together. Though, my mom didn't love him. And she made sure he knew it. I knew it. My sister knew it." Bruce raised an eyebrow. "Sister?" Cindy blinked. "Younger. Amanda. And if you want me to finish, I suggest you don't interrupt. It's not something I really share." Bruce nodded. "Right, sorry."

Cindy nodded, beginning again. "Right. So my parents didn't love each other, but put up with each other since they had me. My mother decided to deal with it by drinking. My father also decided kids wouldn't change his life style. So he kept doing drugs. Then one night, I was two years old. It's the earliest I can remember, and all I can remember for a long time. My mother was drunk, my father was high. My mother swears it was rape, but Dad always said she was too drunk to care and he was too high to remember. Anyway, that was the beginning of my sister.

Mom was thankfully smart enough not to drink while pregnant. But once my sister was born, she went right back to the bottle. And I, still two years old, started caring for my baby sister with my moms help. By the time I was four I knew what my father was really like. He was a drug dealer, an addict. A terrible, terrible man. Then when I was six, I watched my mom and dad fight. Dad always threw the first punch, and mom could never fight back. She was either drunk or hung over.

I decided then that my sister wouldn't ever be hit by dad. I would wait in the living room so I could hear him come home and make my sister play hide and seek or go to bed early. That way he wouldn't see her. Mom and I were his punching bag. I was what started his problems, and my mom was just a leech to him. Though, that really was what she seemed to be. She used his money to lay around the house and drink, making him pay for Amanda and I to go to school.

But when I was eight... When I was eight, Amanda didn't listen. Amanda came down stairs when Dad came home. And after Dad shoved me into a wall, broke my arm, and beat me senseless with a wooden spoon..." Cindy's voice started to waver, beginning to sob. "And I had to lay there... And watch him beat my sister. Abuse her. Physically..." Her voice was barely any more than a whisper. "Sexually..." Bruce's eyes widened, having to bite his tongue to keep from talking.

"Of course Dad never did that to me. I didn't have to worry he would tell me. I wasn't pretty enough. Amanda was the pretty one. I continued to try and raise Amanda in the best way I knew how. But I really didn't know much. She started partying... I always felt like if I had protected her better, if I hadn't let Dad... Do that to her. She wouldn't have become the way she was.

When she was 16... She became a prostitute. Then Dad found out... When Dad found out he kicked her out. I tried to follow her, get us an apartment, but Dad wouldn't let me leave. I didn't have a choice, he pulled a knife on me! So she left... And a few weeks later they found her body, raped, beaten, and dead in an alley. If I had followed her, if I hadn't been so scared!

Now I'm 19. I'm on my own. I have my own apartment. Then Mom calls me. She actually sounds sober, her voice is filled with panic. Your fathers in trouble she keep saying. He didn't pay. He didn't do what he said he would. So I told her to calm down and I would drive over in a minute. So I drive over, and the door is wide open. Neither of them were dumb enough to leave their door wide open. So I raced inside, and it was silent. I called out for both of them, and no one said a word.

Then I walked into a kitchen, and saw it. The blood... So much blood... They had both been shot. In the head, the chest, the stomach. There was just so... Much... Blood..." Cindy shuddered as she remembered all of it. "I ran out of the house, getting in my car to go to the police station. When there was a gun shot. I looked around, and it hit my windshield, glass shattering. I don't think I've ever drove faster in my life. I went to the police, told them the whole story, and they went. No one knows who killed them, but rumor has it... Dad has a big debt with the mob for his drugs."

Cindy hugged her knees to her chest, crying even more than she had been. "And... That's it. When you pushed me... It... Dad... He always..." She couldn't even talk straight and put her face between her knees, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed. Bruce frowned and hugged Cindy tightly to his chest. "Cindy, I... I would never. I wouldn't ever hurt you. I promise." he was in shock at her past. Who could go through all of that and be... Normal. But it explained why she was so afraid of guns and got so scared when she was mad.

Cindy just cried into his chest, body shaking. Bruce frowned, holding her tight. "You're safe now. You don't ever have to worry about a thing. Ever again. Just relax. Sleep even." Cindy chuckled softly through the sobs. "Sleep..." She muttered. How could she sleep when she was crying so hard? Well, crying always did seem to make a person tired. It was so physically demanding. So Cindy decided it was the only thing she could do to try and forget. So she shut her eyes, and fell asleep in Bruce's arms, feeling safe. For now.

((Whenever I write that back story I just want to cry. Comments welcome! :D))


	9. Chapter 9

((Hello my lovelies! Just letting you know, this story is no longer a love triangle. I've been chatting with my RL BFF, who by the way has a account. Nommmyy. Check her out. Anyways, we've been talking, and we decided it is out of character for Cindy to be with Joker. She's helping me out with some plot ideas. Few things, I love how the cartoon Bruce Wayne always wears turtlenecks. So I'm doing that right here. Also, this is a bit of a filler chapter, so my apologies in advance. Trust me, things will get entertaining NEXT chapter.))

CHAPTER NINE: Probar las Fronteras

After a few days, the press had died down significantly. Cindy still found herself randomly blinded while walking the streets of Gotham, but it was much calmer compared to that terrible morning. Cindy was almost glad it had happened though. Her first fight was out of the way, and Bruce knew of her past. That was the best thing for her. Bruce knew. She didn't have to hide her past or her fears now. Well, except for one. But Cindy just wasn't ready to visit that one. Bruce seemed happier now though.

Cindy arrived home after work. She laughed internally at herself for calling the manor home. It was crazy how comfortable she was here, but who wouldn't be? After growing up with nothing, all of the luxury was just fabulous. Bruce was sitting on the couch, reading the newspaper with one of his many turtlenecks on. Cindy sat down next to him, smiling. "Which one are you reading?"

She was mostly wondering if he was reading anything she had possibly been involved with. Bruce was reading deeply with a frown, seeming not too happy about what he saw. "It says next week there will be a special article. An interview with Dr. Jonathan Crane, also known as the Scarecrow, at Arkham Asylum?" Cindy grinned. "Oh yeah. It's not our first time running a story on Arkham, but we're getting an interview with a past doctor, gone villain. It's going to be fascinating." Bruce frowned, nodding slowly. "And who's doing the interview?"

Cindy smiled. "Well that's actually what I was going to tell you. I got a promotion. My editor wants me to try actually writing for a change, not just taking pictures. So for my first assignment, I get to do an interview." Bruce set down the paper, looking at her. "You aren't serious." Cindy nodded with a wide smile, hugging Bruce tightly. "Isn't this great? I'm finally going to become a serious reporter!" Bruce scowled, not hugging her back. "You aren't doing it." Cindy frowned. "What do you mean?"

Bruce frowned, shaking his head. "You are not going anywhere near those psychopaths. He'll play mind games on you Cindy. You aren't going." Cindy frowned. "Bruce. I'm sorry, but you can't make my career choices for me. I'm doing it. Whether you like it or not." Bruce sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Cindy..." She stood up with a frown. "No! I am doing this interview. This is my chance Bruce. People have done this before. I'll be safe, I'm with a team of security guards. I'll be fine."

Bruce had to take a deep breath, not wanting to upset her, or himself. If he got angry and started shouting, he would just spend another night upset, and alone. "Fine... But don't tell me what day you are going. I don't want to know about it. Okay?" Cindy grinned and hugged Bruce again. "Thank you." She didn't totally understand Bruce's reservations on the interview. I mean, duh, everyone knew that Arkham Asylum was dangerous. It held the criminally insane. Poison Ivy, the Joker, Scarecrow, Penguin. But really, she would be safe. And she had to do her job.

Bruce smiled weakly, hugging her back. "Well I have good new too, I guess." Cindy raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"Well, we're having another gala here. It's sort of like... A coming out party. For you." Cindy blinked in shock. "Me?" Bruce nodded. "Well, the press have caught enough photos of you by hiding in bushes. And I want all of my... High society friends to properly meet you. That's all it is. A meet and greet with some rich snobs, and a lot of alcohol."

Cindy frowned, not sure how much she liked that. "And this is good news?" Bruce laughed. "I suppose not. But look at the bright side, once this is over with, you can come to any event with me and not have people asking you tons of questions. We'll get it done with in one night." Cindy still didn't want to do it. She wasn't a huge fan of parties. Coming to the party Bruce had first invited her too was more for work, but just doing one? "I don't deserve a party Bruce." Bruce smirked and kissed her. "You deserve everything."

Cindy smiled softly. "You want to know what I think?" Bruce raised an eyebrow. "What?" Cindy smirked at him. "I think you just want to get me drunk so you can finally get in my pants." Bruce laughed. "If that happened, I wouldn't be too disappointed, but that's not the whole point. More like a bonus." Cindy rolled her eyes, standing up. "You know, you really can be a pig sometimes." Bruce grinned at her. "Oh you enjoy it." Cindy chuckled and started to walk away.

"Where are you going?" Bruce called. Cindy smirked, knowing this was bothering him. "Oh, nowhere." Bruce frowned and stood up, starting to follow her. "Seriously. Where are you going?" Cindy chuckled softly to herself. "Nowhere." Bruce finally ran up to her, turning her around. "Where are you going." Cindy kissed him deeply, catching him by surprise. "Nowhere. I just wanted to see how much that would bother you." Bruce smirked, rolling his eyes. "You are a strange one." Cindy grinned up at Bruce who towered over her to the point where his chin could rest on the top of her head. "You enjoy it."

Bruce rolled his eyes. "How about I let Garrett take you shopping for the party?" Cindy frowned. "That is a punishment, not a reward." Bruce laughed. "Consider it my apology to him for blaming him?" Cindy sighed. "Then let him shop for himself." Bruce smirked. "No, he can shop for both of you. You need some... Girl time." Cindy laughed and smacked him in the arm. "If Garrett heard that, he would have killed you." Bruce just kept smirking at her. "You would be surprised what I can survive against." Cindy rolled her eyes. "I'll go call him." She pulled out of her cell phone and turned her back to Bruce.

"Hello?"

"Garrett? It's Cindy."

"Hey girl! What's up?"

Cindy opened her mouth to answer when Bruce's arms snaked around her waist and be began to nibble on her neck. Cindy blinked, trying to pay attention to the conversation. "I was, um, wondering if you... Uh... Wanted to... Go... Shopping. Go shopping." Bruce was starting to form a hickey in the crook of her neck. It was taking all of Cindy's self restraint to not hang up right there and kiss him. Garrett grinned. "Of course I want to go shopping! Are you okay though? You sound... Distracted." Cindy chewed on her lower lip. "Oh no, I'm fine. I swear. Um, Bruce said-" Her voice spiked as Bruce's hands slid underneath her shirt and up her stomach. Garrett raised an eyebrow. "Bruce said?"

"He'll pay for anything you want to buy. Apologizing for blaming you for the press thing." Cindy had to hold the phone away from her ear as Garrett screamed. She shut her eyes, both from being turned on by Bruce and not wanting to go deaf at the hands of Garrett's vocal cords. "Tell him thank you! I'll pick you up in an hour! Bye!" He hung up and Cindy turned, melding her lips to Bruce's.

Bruce smirked, pulling Cindy close to her and started to go to pull her shirt off. Cindy pulled away, breathless. "Bruce..." He smiled at her. "Relax... I know what I'm doing..." Cindy gently pushed on his chest. "Still not today Bruce. Be patient." Bruce sighed, taking a step back. "Do you not trust me? Look I know I've slept with a couple people-" "No! That's not what it's about Bruce!" Bruce frowned. "Then what's it about?" Cindy sighed and turned her back on him. "I'm going to take a shower before Garrett picks me up." Bruce frowned. "Let me come with."

"No!" Cindy snapped. "No, I mean... I'm sorry Bruce. I just... Can't. I have my reasons." Bruce frowned. "What reasons?" Cindy shut her eyes. "I can't tell you right now Bruce, I just... Can't. Please, trust me." Bruce sighed heavily. "Fine, whatever." Cindy frowned, feeling bad. She went upstairs to shower and mentally prep for the hours of shopping ahead of her.


	10. Chapter 10

((Hello everyone. This chapter was fun to write, by virtue of the fact it tested my limits as a writer. I have to let you all know now, this story has to be rated M now. Only because of this chapter, and possibly future chapters. I am rating this M because of: Sexist comments, Cursing, and Rape. If you don't like any of those, then just skip this chapter, and I'll summarize it at the beginning of the chapter. I know this isn't everyone's thing, and I respect that. So only read if you want to. And please, continue reading this thread.))

Cindy was staring at herself in the mirror. She could barely recognize herself now. She was in a dress that Garrett had picked out special for her, and it made Cindy feel like a ballerina. It was a black strapless dress with metallic gold stitching along the top of the fitted corset that was the bodice. The skirt was also black and came out and in her opinion, barely covered her ass. She thought it was completely inappropriate for the party and had forced Garrett to purchase a floor length blue gown as a back-up plan, but when Bruce saw the dress she was wearing, his jaw had nearly touched the floor.

"It's perfect," he said, almost breathlessly. "You're perfect," he concluded as his lips met hers in a kiss that set Cindy's heart ablaze. She was almost ready. She knew it. In that moment, Cindy knew she would be ready soon to finally bind herself to Bruce. Did she maybe… No, that was impossible. They had been dating for hardly a month. How could she even imagine ever… Loving this man. He was gorgeous, there was no doubting that. He was also rich, would great for everyone, though Cindy could care less about money. But ignoring his looks, his money, his power as the owner of a major company, he was… He was the sweetest man that Cindy had ever met and she couldn't bear to let him go.

Double checking her hair that was pulled into a bun on the side of her head by a stylist Garrett had also insisted doing her hair, Cindy smiled weakly at herself in the mirror. She really would be a princess tonight, all she was missing was the tiara. But a tiara was nowhere near as important as a prince, and she most certainly had a prince. Bruce had been in the other room and walked in, wearing his tuxedo. Under Garrett's instructions he had worn a black undershirt instead of white, and a gold tie that matched the stitching of her dress. He smiled at Cindy when he saw her, "You're beautiful, as always. Come on, let's go. The guests are waiting."

Cindy smiled and took Bruce's arm, walking with him downstairs to the hoard of people below. Now Cindy wasn't a huge fan of parties, she wasn't even a huge fan of people to be quite honest. So Cindy's goal of the night was to stay as close to Bruce as possible, have enough drinks to get her buzzed but not wasted, and only listen to half the things said to her. She didn't plan on starting a friendship with any of these snobs, so why bother to pay attention? Oh wait, that was kind of snobbish… So maybe Cindy would listen, it would really just have to do with how the night went.

As the night wore on, Cindy found herself smiling and leaning on Bruce as she met the inner circles of Gotham's elite. There were a lot more rich people in Gotham than Cindy had ever realized, considering most communities had way more families living in poverty than ones who had money to spare. And these people certainly had money to spare. Bruce had been really good about making sure to stay by Cindy, knowing she didn't want to be alone. But then Alfred came up. "Master Bruce, I'm afraid we have a slight problem." Bruce frowned, his arm wrapped protectively around Cindy's waist. "What is it Alfred?"

"Gate crashers." Alfred replied and Bruce sighed heavily, pecking Cindy's cheek. "I'll be right back. I have to take care of this." He looked to the people he had been talking with, a group of four men, around his age. "You'll take care of her while I'm gone?"

"Of course," the apparent leader of the group replied. With that Bruce walked off. Cindy immediately felt herself shrinking back into her shell, shy around all these strangers without her security blanket of her boyfriend. The boys took a step closer to her and Cindy realized for the first time that she was backed up against a wall. She smiled sweetly at the boys, starting to feel a bit nervous. "So, you really are Wayne's latest pet." Cindy blinked, shocked by their language. "Excuse me?" The man grinned wolfishly at her. "You heard me. I've got to admit, Bruce did a good job. For once he didn't pick up some skank of the streets." Cindy frowned, pouting slightly. No amount of liquor could make her hold a conversation with these pigs. "Excuse me."

The man grabbed her arm as she started to walk off. "Hey now. We told old Brucie boy that we would… Take care of you while he was gone." Cindy blinked, trying to pull away as the mans grip tightened on her arm. "I can take care of myself fine, thanks. Now please, let go." The man took a step closer, his cronies one step behind him. "Not that kind of care love." Cindy's eyes widened slightly. "I swear to god if you don't let go of me right now, I will scream." The man simply laughed at her and in a flash had Cindy pulled up against him, his lips on hers.

Cindy immediately started to panic. The man on her had rough, chapped lips that scratched her sensitive ones, and he tasted heavily of liquor and cigarettes. She began to squirm, feeling a pain in her chest and panic swelling her heart. When the pulled away and Cindy went to scream, another hand clamped down over hers and she felt herself beginning to get pulled away from the crowds of people distracted by their friends and the drinks in their hands.

She was shoved roughly into a dark room, heart racing. The door shut behind the men, and the lights flipped on. Cindy looked at them, fear evident in her expression. "Wh-What are you going to do?" All of the guys grinned at her. "You really can't figure it out?" The man who had kissed unzipped his fly and turned to his men. "Somebody get the bitch out of her clothes." And that was when Cindy screamed. She screamed as loud as she felt she possibly could. She started to run around the room, desperate to find another door, another exit. Some way to save herself from the nightmare about to unfold.

Cindy felt strong arms wrap around her waist and pull her off the ground. She started to kick and scream, thrashing violently to make this strange man drop her. It didn't take long for Cindy to hear the tearing of fabric as her dress was torn off. She was dropped to the floor, knees aching from the drop to the hard floor below her. She felt exposed, defeated, and hopeless now. Hungry eyes bored into her back and Cindy found herself closing her eyes in an attempt to wake up from what she prayed to God was just another nightmare.

Her bra was the next thing to come off, rough hands forcing the clasp open. Naturally it had been a strapless bra so it simply fell off her slender torso. Tears began to roll down Cindy's cheeks, the only thing keeping her somewhat safe was the underwear that covered what these bastards really wanted. Cindy was flipped over onto her back, and then a strike like lightning smacked across her cheek. "Look at me!" A man above her yelled and Cindy just turned her head the other way. That's the when the second hit reached her other cheek. "I want you to look into my eyes while I'm doing this."

With a sniffle, Cindy shook her head no. She wasn't going to give this man the satisfaction of that. The only thing worse than not seeing the scene unfolding in front of her, was seeing the horrifying memories flash in front of her eyes. A dark, cold alleyway. Rain splattering against her pale skin as her clothes were torn off and thrown aside. The pain shooting through her with every motion, and then laying there in the mud for hours, crying, just praying for someone to rescue her.

"She says no. We don't like that, do we boys?" A murmur of agreement was all Cindy could hear, curling herself up into a little ball. "Well then, I think we ought to teach this little bitch a lesson." Cindy blinked, trying to comprehend what was going to happen to her next, then a kick plowed into her stomach. Crying out in pain, Cindy was assaulted by a flurry of kicks and punches. Every inch of her body burned with a pain she had never experienced before.

Finally opening her eyes as she sobbed, Cindy realized that all of the men surrounding her were now nude as well. "Stop! Please!" She cried, clutching her sides as she attempted to curl up. Cindy was grabbed by the hair and pulled up to eye level by the leader of this band of criminals. "I'll stop when I damn well want to." He threw her on the ground and straddled her stomach, finally pulling off her panties. "Get ready sweet heart." Cindy found herself paralyzed with so much fear that she couldn't even close her eyes to think she was reliving a past nightmare instead of adding a new one to her list of troubles.

"What the hell is going on!" Bruce was standing in the doorway, anger radiating off of him. It only took a split second for Bruce to take in the scene and rip the man off of Cindy's bruised and naked body. It took even less time for Bruce's fist to connect with that same mans jaw and a loud crack to fill the now silent air. All the other boys got dressed as quickly as they could and ran out, not wanting to stick around for Bruce to beat them as badly as he was beating their friend. Once the man was unconscious, bruised, bleeding, and had several broken bones, Bruce dropped him to the ground. He was still absolutely furious, but if he took out all his aggression on this man, he would be dead.

Cindy hadn't moved an inch since Bruce walked in, just crying. That was all she had the energy to do, cry. Bruce took off his jacket and set it over her. "Cindy. It's okay now, I'm here. No one's going to hurt you, you don't have to worry." He picked her up with the care of holding a new born baby, holding her to his chest. He walked out of the room and quickly led her into his bedroom then to his bathroom. He managed to start up a warm bath while holding Cindy in his arms. "It's going to be okay Cindy… I'll take you to a hospital in the morning, I promise. But not right now, I just can't right now."

Cindy sniffled, finally looking at Bruce. "No… No, I won't go to a hospital. I don't need to go to one." Bruce frowned deeply, looking incredibly worried. "But Cindy, what if you ended up-" "I'm not going to end up pregnant Bruce. They didn't actually rape me." Bruce scowled. "Don't say that word." Cindy scowled. "What word? Rape? Why not! It's what almost happened Bruce! It almost fucking happened again…" Cindy began to bawl again and Bruce seemed shocked. "Wait, what? Again?" Cindy stayed silent and Bruce frowned, picking her up and gently setting her in the warm water. "Please tell me Cindy…"


	11. Chapter 11

((SUMMARY TIME: So Cindy was at her party with Bruce, but he had to go deal with a party crasher. Then the guys Cindy had been talking to pulled her into a room, stripped her, beat her, and attempted to rape her. Thankfully Bruce walked in right before they did, and saved her from that. Her response was "It almost happened again" And Bruce, out of confusion and curiosity, asked what she was talking about. Oh yeah, and Bruce is giving her a bath, but he is outside the tub and fully clothed. Cindy is naked though.))

Cindy kept her eyes shut, feeling Bruce's hands move up and down her back gently. Water was slowly being poured over her head as the bobby pins were removed from her hair to let it down. Every one of Bruce's touches were soft, like a butterfly kiss. "Cindy… I want to know what you're talking about. So please, just tell me what's going on. So I can help." Cindy sighed heavily, frowning deeply. "You can't help Bruce. It was so long ago, no one could help me." Bruce gently kissed the side of her neck, almost afraid to touch her as dark bruises began to form. "I still want to know and try."

Cindy sighed heavily, opening her eyes. While she wanted to close them, she knew if her eyes were shut then the images would play against her closed lids like a movie screen. "I was seventeen. It was my senior year, and I had done track all through high school. I was a sprinter, pretty good actually. Not to brag." Cindy smiled weakly, remembering how track, journalism, and photography were the only things in High School she enjoyed. "Sorry… It was just so long ago… So I was involved in track, and we had a lot of meets that involved a lot of traveling.

One night I had a really late meet. Like, a get home at eleven o' clock at night meet. And as you know, my parents weren't the type to stay up and wait for me. Not even Amanda. Well, actually, Amanda had offered to wait at the school for me and drive me home, she would steal my dads car, we did it all the time. But I told her no. I didn't want her to get caught with the car, and wanted her to get a good nights sleep. You know? She had some sort of final in the morning, and I wanted her to do well. So I figured that the extra workout of jogging home after the meet would be good.

So that's what I did. We got off the bus and while everyone else was driving home in their cars or getting picked up by their siblings or parents, I was running home. It was nice actually. I loved to run, to feel alone. But I wasn't alone. I guess a guy had been waiting in an alley for someone like me. A woman who was obviously alone at that time of night. I look back on it and realize I was so stupid for thinking I could run through one of the worst neighborhoods in Gotham at night in a tank top and booty shorts. But so… He just… He just tackled me.

It was that simple honestly. I had been running, then I felt something hit me and I fell to the ground. When I tried to stand up, I was being dragged into the alley. And see, I'm a runner, not a fighter. I never did judo or wrestling or things like that. I'm a tall, thin girl. I was built to be a runner. So when he grabbed me… Well I had already lost the battle. I screamed so loud. I screamed until my throat was raw and I had actually lost my voice. I thought a few times someone had seen me, but I was wrong. That or they just didn't want to get mixed up in what was going on.

My clothes were ripped off and thrown aside, I kept struggling but he was… He was really strong. He just pinned me there. I couldn't have moved if I really wanted to. And I really wanted to… Then it started to rain, and it was so cold. I was shaking more from the cold than from the fear of what I knew was going to happen. I had read this stuff in the paper, I had seen it on the news. But did I ever think it would happen to me? Well of course not. That kind of stuff doesn't happen to you.

So then as the rain is pelting my bare skin, the rocks on the asphalt beneath me scratching my skin, I was flipped over onto my stomach. I still couldn't move, my arms were pinned to my side, and he was straddling my waist. I could kick my legs, but I couldn't reach him, just bruise up my legs by kicking the ground. Then…" Cindy felt tears begin to spill out of her eyes. "I'm sorry… I just… I can't talk about that. Anyway, after he had gotten his fill, he stood up, zipped his pants back up, and walked off. I couldn't tell you what he looked like no matter how hard I concentrated. I barely even saw him.

I just remember laying there in the mud, naked, wet, scared, and thinking I was just going to die. Or maybe I wished I would just die. Probably both. I wasn't found until morning by a man walking his dog. Thankfully he had a soul, unlike anyone else who may have seen us. So then I was picked up by an ambulance. I got that fancy little pill to make sure I didn't have a baby, but I had to stay in the hospital for awhile longer. I had gotten pneumonia out in the rain. I begged the nurses not to tell the news, because then my school would find out.

Of course the news did a story, but they promised to leave my name out of it. But how many other girls were running home from a track meet? The track meet figured it out instantly. So by the end of the week the whole school knew. When I came back, everyone just stared. I could hear them whispering about me when I entered a room. I was that girl. That girl who had gotten… Raped. I was an outcast, a freak. For some reason guys then thought I would want to have sex. I mean, I had been raped. I wasn't a virgin, why would it matter to me?

But I wouldn't do it… They hated me for it, sure, but I just… Wouldn't, couldn't." Cindy took a deep breath, not sure if there was anything left to say, or if she wanted to say anything more. She had been so preoccupied with her story that she realized Bruce had washed her hair and was pouring more water on her head to rinse out the suds. "I'm… I'm sorry Cindy." She frowned, looking back at him and ignoring the pain in her neck. "Why are you sorry? You didn't even know me then." Bruce sighed. "No, not about that. Well, I mean, I'm sorry that that happened to you. Who wouldn't be? I mean, I'm sorry that I was like… Like those other boys. I was trying to push it."

Cindy chuckled humorlessly, smirking softly. "You weren't like them Bruce… You didn't hate me for saying no." She turned around and kissed him softly, absolutely exhausted. "Bruce… Can I sleep? Please? I'm just… I'm so tired…" Bruce smiled and picked Cindy out of the bath water and she frowned. "Bruce, you're getting your clothes all wet." He smirked. "I know that. Do you really think I care?" Grabbing a towel, Bruce slowly dried Cindy off, making sure to be careful since her whole body was nearly black and blue. Once she was dry, he put Cindy on his bed. "Bruce, where are you going to sleep?" Bruce just smiled as he took off his jacket, unbuttoned his shirt, and took his pants off.

For being exhausted, Cindy found herself watching as Bruce undressed. She was surprised actually. He was… Scarred. "What did you do to yourself?" Bruce smirked softly. "I play polo." Cindy raised an eyebrow. "Polo? Like croquet on a horse?" Bruce laughed. "Well it's a bit more complicated than that, but if you really want to call it that." Cindy frowned. "It just seems strange that you would get so many scars from that. It looks like knives… I went to school with guys in gangs, and they had scars just like that." Bruce smiled weakly. "Now why would I be covered in scars?"

Cindy yawned, shrugging weakly then wincing at how much that hurt. She was so sore. Bruce noticed the wince and frowned, crawling into bed in just his boxers. "Sleep Cindy…" He kissed her temple. "You need it." Cindy nodded softly and drifted into a deep sleep, Bruce's arms gently wrapped around her waist and spooning her lovingly. For once, Cindy slept without any nightmares.


	12. Chapter 12

((Short filled chapter, sorry guys! I was seriously lacking muse for this one, but through this chapter I was able to come up with my totally amazing inspiration for my next chapter! So hold on tight, and thanks for your patience for these not so awesome chapters. And please, comment, comment, comment! I love feedback and I love suggestions! If you think a character should do something, I will try and work your ideas into the story! Enjoy!))

Cindy had to wait weeks for the bruises on her face to heal. Bruce wouldn't even think about letting her out of the house until those went away. He said the press would have a field day when they saw, considering Bruce had kept quiet about what happened at the party. Cindy didn't want anyone to know, so Bruce had dealt with the men secretly, since he had the power to do that. Being Bruce Wayne and all. So after weeks and weeks of once again being cooped up inside Wayne Manor due to an injury, she could go out and get back to work.

The down side to going out now though, was that she actually wasn't fully healed. Bruises still covered her sides, legs, arms, and even a few were on her neck. So here Cindy was in slacks, knee high socks, boots, and a turtleneck sweater with a jacket and a scarf. It was fairly obvious that Bruce was just a tad bit paranoid about what might happen.

Upon arriving at work, Cindy was nearly tackled to the floor by Garrett. She had to bite her tongue to keep from screaming in pain from how hard Garrett hit the bruises. Oh, had she forgotten to mention? She hadn't called since the party, other than to miss work. That was when Cindy found out Bruce had been paying her boss to get extra vacation time. "Spill. Now." Garrett demanded of her. Sighing heavily, Cindy kept walking to her desk. "What are you talking about?" Garrett smirked and followed. "Right after the party you go missing? Spill. Have you done it yet? Did you enjoy? Shit, don't tell me you were gone because you had to find out if you were pregnant." His eyes widened. "You aren't pregnant are you?"

Cindy scowled. "Garrett, can you stop jumping to conclusions! We haven't slept together yet, well… I mean, we slept in the same bed, but I haven't ever seen him naked." Garrett grinned, pulling up a chair next to her. "But has he seen you naked?" That was when the blush started to form and Garrett's grin widened. "Um…" Cindy mumbled, trying to figure out what to say. Garrett squeeled at a higher pitch than Cindy thought was even possible. "I knew it! And I bet the turtleneck is to cover hickeys, isn't it?"

"Garrett no-" Garrett reached up to check for Cindy's 'hickey' and before she could stop him, he saw the bruise. Garrett froze, pulling his hand back like he had almost been bitten by a snake. "Give me the bastards phone number, I need to have a chat with him." Cindy's eyes widened. "Garrett, no! He didn't hit me!" Garrett scowled. "Don't pull any of that I deserved it crap Cindy. My sisters been in an abusive relationship, I know the signs. Covering herself, being distant with her friends, missing waiting for the black eyes to go away. Oh Jesus Christ. It was a black eye wasn't it. That's why you haven't been at work."

"Well, yeah, but it wasn't from him." Garrett rolled his eyes. "Then who Cindy? A group guys from the party were gang beating you?" Cindy's eyes began to water and Garrett's jaw dropped. "No." Cindy nodded, trying to cover her mouth with her hand to keep from sobbing. Garrett grabbed Cindy by the arm and pulled her back into the break room, which was virtually deserted at this hour. "What happened Cindy?" She bit her lip, trying to get a hold of herself. "Bruce had to go, and there were these guys, and they pulled me into a room. They took off my dress, and when I started to struggle they just started… They just started hitting me. Bruce came in and caught them." Cindy chuckled weakly at the memory. "He bit the living shit out of him… Garrett?"

"Yeah sweetie?" Cindy sniffled, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "Why does it always happen to me?" Garrett sighed and hugged her tightly. "It just… Does. I'm sorry. You were just dealt the wrong hand in this game. It will get better. Hell, it has gotten better. You're dating Bruce Wayne!" Cindy scowled. "Yeah, and instead of being raped by hobos I'm raped by rich guys." Garrett frowned. "I was trying to go for a more positive spin Cindy." Cindy nodded weakly, knowing he was right. If she kept dwelling on the negativity it just wouldn't end well.

Garrett smiled. "We could go shopping?" Cindy laughed, actually feeling better at his suggestion. "That's how you feel better, but I consider some form of sick torture." Garrett smirked. "Then we can just go for a walk. I know how much you like walking." Cindy rolled her eyes. "There's nothing wrong with liking walking." Garrett stood up. "Come on, during our lunch break we can walk to that café, get a bite to eat, then come back." Cindy nodded, smiling. She stood up with him. "I would like that."

Cindy checked her watch, standing outside waiting for Garrett. He ran out the door, grinning. "Sorry, I was talking to Mark, and it was just… Never mind. Point is, we may have a date Saturday." Cindy smiled at Garrett. "That's great Garrett. He'll be a nice change from the assholes you usually date." Garrett rolled his eyes. "I do not always date assholes." She smirked. "Should I go through the list?" Garrett frowned and sighed. "No…" Cindy laughed and started to walk with him.

Once they were at the café Garrett frowned. He had been acting like something was wrong for awhile and Cindy sighed. "Just ask me Garrett…" He nodded, trying to find the right words. "Um… Are there more? And, well, uh, could I see them?" Cindy frowned and peeled off her jacket, rolling up her sleeves. Bruises of different shapes, sizes, and colors ran all up her arm. Garrett winced just at the sight of them. "Dear God, are there more?" Cindy nodded, rolling up her pants and pushing her socks down to show the same kind of arrangement on her legs. "It's worse on my stomach…"Cindy muttered, starting to cover herself back up again. That was when she heard the all too familiar click of a camera.

"Shit." Cindy went even faster on covering herself, hearing more clicks from far off. There were paparazzi in the café, and they had pictures of Bruce Wayne's girlfriend coated from head to toe in bruises. Garrett frowned, watching how Cindy was acting. "What's wrong?" Cindy frowned. "Photographers." Garrett blinked. "Okay, lunch is over. We've got to go." He stood up and walked out of the building with Cindy, but she knew there was no escaping what would be on the cover of the gossip rags.

((Hey, just thought I would give you a gentle reminder. COMMENT!))


	13. Chapter 13

Cindy headed to the manor after work quickly. She was in a silent panic, not sure how in the world she would explain this to Bruce. I mean, there were photos of her covered in bruises. If Garrett had believed that Bruce was beating her, what would the press think? Bruce was going to be pissed, she just knew it. But what was she supposed to do? She had to tell him.

Opening the door to the manor, Cindy walked in, surprised by the smell of food coming from the kitchen. "Bruce?" She called out, heading towards the smell that was already making her mouth water. I mean, she hadn't actually eaten that much for lunch, too freaked out to think of food. Cindy was even more surprised when she saw Bruce was the one cooking, and not Alfred. He looked up at her with a smile. "Oh, sorry. I didn't hear you. How was work?"

Cindy blinked in shock. "Um... What are you doing?" She couldn't even process his question, Bruce was... Cooking. He was actually... Taking care of himself. Cindy didn't mean to sound conceited, but she was surprised Bruce knew how to cook for himself considering he had lived his whole life with Alfred doing everything for him. Bruce raised an eyebrow. "I'm cooking us dinner. I gave Alfred the day off so we could have the house to ourselves." He winked at Cindy and she bit her lip, know was not the time to be thinking of that.

Bruce just continued to smile at her, "So you didn't answer my question, how was work?" Cindy leaned against the wall, frowning. "Bruce... The paparazzi saw..." Bruce frowned, blinking. It was obvious he was trying to play dumb. "Saw what?" Cindy sighed. "The bruises... Garrett saw them, I was explaining to him and showed them to him, and I heard cameras." Bruce's entire body tensed up as he finally understood what was going on. He stayed silent, which just worried Cindy even more.

"Bruce? Please, don't be mad. Don't freak out like last time..." Bruce took a deep breath, shutting his eyes. He was clenching his hands in fists and Cindy found she couldn't move or even breathe. His eyes snapped open suddenly and Cindy jumped. "Well... Those photos will be plastered on the covers of every magazine in Gotham by tomorrow morning. Then they won't leave us alone for a long time. So... We had better make tonight count."

Cindy blinked in shock. "Wait a minute. You... You're not mad?" Bruce nodded, smiling weakly. "I can't blame you for it. Things happen. I just want to enjoy tonight before the photographers come in the morning." Cindy smiled at him and hugged him tightly, feeling a lot better. "Yeah... We'll enjoy tonight." She kissed him gently and Bruce smirked, kissing back with a little more force. Cindy pulled away with a grin. "You have to finish cooking mister." She stepped back before Bruce could stop her and he rolled his eyes. "Fine."

After dinner was over, Cindy smiled. "I'm going to take a shower." Bruce stood up with her, smirking. "Let me join you." Cindy grinned, biting her bottom lip. "Are you asking?" Bruce chuckled softly. "May I shower with you?" Cindy smirked and started walking off. "If you must..." Bruce grinned and ran up behind her, picking her up bridal style and carrying her to the bathroom. Cindy laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Why on Earth are you carrying me?" Bruce smirked. "Because I can."

He carried her to the bathroom with him and began undressing her. Cindy blushed softly. "You know that I can take off my own clothes..." Bruce smiled, pressing kisses against her neck. "I know... But that doesn't mean you get to." Cindy rolled her eyes, but let him undress her. She hadn't been naked in front of him since that night, and she felt a little weird now. When she had done it before, she had hardly paid attention, or really remembered it. It was even worse looking at the bruises in the mirror.

Her neck just had one purple lump on the side, but her shoulders had hand shaped coloring spots on them. Her sides were nearly completely black from where their feet had laid kicks on her rib cage, her upper arms had bruises as well from her attempt to protect herself. Even her legs had bruises, but her legs had the least amount of bruises, excluding her neck. Glancing at Bruce in the mirror, Cindy saw that frown on his face. He wouldn't be able to touch her, she knew it. Bruce went to unbutton his shirt and Cindy turned around. "No. I'm doing that."

Bruce smiled softly at her. "Fine." Cindy began to unbutton his shirt, watching as the scars on his muscular chest were revealed. "I still can't believe you got this many scars from a sport..." Bruce blinked and for a split second Cindy thought he was hiding something. "I play rough." Bruce replied with a grin and Cindy laughed. "I can see that." Once his shirt was off, Cindy unbuckled his pants and gently slid them off. She hesitated here, feeling a knot grow inside her stomach as Bruce stood in front of her in just his boxers.

She felt Bruce's hands gently take hold of her wrists. "Let me help..." He whispered, kissing her forehead. He led her hands to his waistband and Cindy took a deep breath, pushing them down. A wave of relief washed over her once she realized she had done it. She had gotten over her past, and now she was able to really enjoy being in a relationship with such a wonderful man. Bruce smirked at her. "Now that wasn't so bad, was it?" Cindy rolled her eyes and kissed him deeply, feeling Bruce stiffen against her. Another knot formed inside her, but this one felt different. This one was full of a heat that longed to be put out.

Bruce pulled away with a smirk and turned on the water. Once he thought it was hot enough, he turned on the shower head and water began to cascade down. "After you." He said, stepping back so Cindy could get inside the shower. With a smile, she got under the water, muscles immediately relaxing under the heat. Bruce climbed in after her and grabbed the shampoo, beginning to gently massage her scalp. Cindy found herself humming softly with content.

Bruce chuckled, continuing to wash Cindy. His touch softened as he began to wash her body. Cindy frowned softly. "Bruce... They don't hurt that much." Of course Cindy was lying and Bruce knew it. He gently added pressure to her hips and Cindy flinched, pain shooting up her sides. Bruce frowned. "Don't tell me they don't hurt." Cindy sighed and turned around, kissing him deeply.

Bruce frowned, knowing that Cindy was trying to distract him with a kiss. But he wanted this for too long, and wasn't about to let something like this stop him. I mean, it didn't bother Cindy, so why should it bother him? Continuing to kiss her, Bruce moved so that he was up against the shower wall, water washing down over both of them. Cindy pulled away, a sly grin on her face. "You know we're wasting water." Bruce just laughed. "Do you want to get out then?"

Cindy nodded, reaching behind her and turning off the water. Bruce was glistening in the light now with the water sticking to his skin. Cindy smiled weakly, just looking at him for a moment. "You're perfect." Cindy blushed, realizing how childish that probably seemed. "I'm sorry..." Bruce smiled, kissing Cindy's forehead. "Don't be sorry. I'm not perfect though. You are." He kissed her deeply so that she couldn't argue and picked her up again.

Bruce smirked and set Cindy down on the lip of the bathtub, grabbing a towel and slowly drying Cindy off, starting with her legs. Cindy smiled. "I'm capable of drying myself off." She was trying to ignore the small amounts of pain that moved through her body at every touch, and every motion she made. Bruce rolled in his eyes. "I know you can, but I want to." After she was completely dry, Bruce quickly dried off whatever hadn't already air dried and once again, picked Cindy up into his arms.

Cindy rolled her eyes. "Why are you carrying me?" Bruce chuckled. "Haven't you realized I just do whatever I want?" Cindy shook her head, smirking. She kissed him gently, and Bruce kissed back with a heated force. It was obvious what he wanted, and Cindy finally felt ready to give in to that.


	14. Chapter 14

(I am an absolutely terrible author 3 Was the last chapter written back in October? I am so sorry. I had shows and homework and holidays and parties. I hope you can forgive me 3 Well, here is the latest chapter. Spring Break is your savior. So, enjoy the loss of Cindy's TRUE virginity ;) )

Bruce felt Cindy matching his force with the kiss. Was she really going to let him do this? The way her lips moved against his sure felt like it. If she stopped him again, Bruce would just have to deal with it. But if she didn't... Bruce went even faster towards his bedroom, continuing to kiss her. He knew this house well enough, he didn't need to look where he was walking. Once they reached the door, Bruce flung it open and headed straight for the bed. He still had to be careful with Cindy, she was covered in bruises. Keeping that in mind, he gently set her on the bed, moving so that he was on top of her possessively.

Cindy was loving every moment of the kiss. She noticed them start to move faster through the house and had to stop herself from giggling at his excitement. Once they were in the bedroom she felt a different sort of feeling in her stomach. It was the usually mess of knots that usually happened. Instead it was a heat. A heat that spread from her core through every fiber of her being. She was going to do this.

When Bruce moved on top of her Cindy smirked up at him from below. "Who says you get to be on top?" She wrapped her arms around his neck, attempting to flip him over so that she could be in control. Of course a petite girl like Cindy had no chance against such a well built guy like Bruce Wayne. He was simply chuckling at the effort, not even moving. "Careful now." He leaned down and kissed the side of her neck. "You wouldn't want to hurt yourself..." He continued to work the spot on her neck and Cindy slowly started to relax beneath him.

Letting out a soft moan, Cindy didn't even realize her eyes were slowly closing the more Bruce did to her body. His large hand gently slid up the side of her body. Starting at her hip and moving up her entire side until it was beside her breast. Just the feeling of Bruce's hand on her body was enough to make Cindy squirm. Knowing how much Cindy was enjoying it, Bruce decided to be just a little mean and tease her. Barely letting his fingertips touch her skin he slowly circled her breast.

Cindy arched her back into his touch, hating how slow Bruce was being. She just wanted... She wanted... Cindy didn't even know what she wanted. This damned heat was consuming everything in her body and nothing was making sense anymore. She could feel Bruce's lips move down her neck and her collarbone. Moving lower and lower until the soft, warm mouth of her lover was replacing his hand. She couldn't keep herself from moaning as Bruce continued to work his magic on her flesh, gasping as she felt his lips enclose around her nipple. "Bruce..." she moaned, letting out a high pitched whine as his teeth bit down on her sensitive flesh. "Bruce!"

Hearing her scream his name... Bruce was going crazy himself with all of the little sounds she was making. He doubted he could hold himself back anymore than he already was. She wouldn't care much if they skipped all of the foreplay. I mean, she was a virgin after all. And Bruce wasn't exactly sure when he would get the chance for something like this again. Cindy was beautiful, but she sure as hell wasn't easy. Reaching over to the desk next to the bed, he opened the drawer and pulled out a condom. He always kept one there just in case.

Cindy kissed Bruce deeply as he went to get the condom. This felt so amazing, she never wanted it to end. Once Bruce had the condom on, he broke the kiss and moved his lips to her ear. "Are you ready?" He breathed huskily into her ear, letting his tongue slowly move up the curve of her cartilage. Shuddering under his touch, Cindy simply nodded. Her brain wasn't working well enough to speak with all the lust clouding her. Bruce smirked. "What?" He bit down on her ear, causing her to arch into his body and yell out. "Ah! Yes! Yes Bruce!" He chuckled darkly, kissing the skin underneath her ear. "Good girl..."

Moving so that she was comfortable he looked at her again. She looked so beautiful, even with the bruises. Her skin was so pale against his sheets, her long dark hair sprawled across the fabric angelically. He was getting distracted by her and he had to refocus. He looked into her icy blue eyes again to make sure she actually was ready. He didn't plan on stopping once they had started. She simply smiled up at him again with her swollen pink lips. And with that, he gently slid inside of her.

Cindy felt as if she was being split open. It had been so long since she had felt this sensation. It still hurt, like it had before in the rain as a teenager. But... This time was so much different. Because through the pain, there was a certain degree of pleasure. Feeling him slide in and out of her body, her hips moving with his almost like a dance. She had never felt more connected with a person until that moment.

Bruce continued to thrust into her, rolling his hips against hers. He was making sure not to go too fast. He could easily over do it and seriously hurt her. He could tell this alone hurt her, but she was holding up fairly well. He could feel himself reaching the end, hoping she was just as close to climaxing as he was. Grunting and moaning together, Cindy felt the heat inside of her building up. It was more concentrated than before and Cindy wasn't sure if this feeling would ever go away.

Then as Bruce thrust once more, Cindy shuddered, heat exploding through her body. She didn't even breathe as she felt her juices empty around Bruce. Feeling her cum against Bruce moaned, emptying himself. Thank god for the condom. Once he was done Bruce took a deep breath, pulling out of her. He made sure to move so that he was next to her instead of on top of her. Once he was lying next to her, he wrapped his muscular arms around Cindy and pulled her close to his scarred, toned chest.

She let him pull her close, every muscle in her body relaxed. That had been... Magical really. She had never felt like that, and it was a wonderful feeling. She was still glad she had waited though. Because it just made it all the more special that she could share this with him. Closing her eyes, Cindy allowed herself to drift off to sleep against her loves chest. It was the first time she had felt truly safe and protected.

(Was it worth the wait? I sure hope it was 3)


	15. Chapter 15

((Hi lovelies! I'm quick this time! As you can read below, this chapter starts a bit after what happened in the last chapter. No worries, it's for good reason. Oh, and some people had questions about all the 3's in the last chapter. Those were SUPPOSED to be little hearts. Just showing affection for my loyal fans.))

~Time skip~

Cindy moaned, eyes shut as her head fell back. Where was she? What was going on? It had been months since the party where Cindy had gotten... Mixed up with those guys. She was fully healed, and her and Bruce were better than ever. I mean, how could they not be great with all the sex? Unfortunately, the philosophy what comes up must come down was starting to take affect for poor Cindy. She found herself tied to a chair with a massive headache in the middle of an abandoned warehouse. She could barely remember anything.

It had been a normal day at work. Cindy had gotten up, Bruce drove her in in one of his normal not so expensive cars, and she had just sat at her desk all day going through old photos. Garrett was normal, going on about a date he had had the night before. Everything was going great. Bruce had planned on picking her up from work, but he had gotten stuck at a business meeting or something. So she went outside to get a cab. Waiting on the sidewalk for one to show up... BAM! That was it. She couldn't remember anything else.

Now here she sat. In the dark. And the cold. Tied to a rough wooden chair with a large, thick, rough coil of rope. "Well... It can't get any worse than this..." She muttered under her breath. Her comment was met by quiet laughter that seemed to echo around the whole room. Cindy shuddered, realizing she shouldn't of done that. "Looks like somebody is awake..." A voice called out of the darkness. Cindy recognized that voice. She knew she did. But she was silently praying to God that she was wrong. "Wh-Who are you? What do you want!"

Laughter erupted all around and Cindy shut her eyes, wishing she could cover her ears from such an abrupt noise. "Aw, that hurts babe. Was our date really that bad?" Cindy ducked her head, feeling like a child relying on the idea that if she couldn't see him, he couldn't see her. Suddenly Cindy felt her head being ripped back by a hand fisted in her hair. Her eyes widening at the pain, she saw a pair of great big yellow eyes inches away from her face. Now her worst nightmares were coming true.

"Did ya miss me?" The Joker grinned at her, laughing hysterically. Cindy immediately started thrashing in her seat and Jokers smile faded instantly. "Ah ah ah." He yanked on her hair and Cindy gritted her teeth to keep from shouting. "We must play nice. Or else you'll get put in time out." Cindy glared at him. "Fine! Put me in time out! Punish me! I'm not going to play by your stupid rules anyway!" Joker let go and took a step back, chuckling darkly. "I'm sorry sweet heart what was that? Did you say... Punish you?"

Cindys eyes widened. "N-No." Joker was grinning devilishly, continuing to chuckle to himself. "Do you want to be punished Ms. Bluhme?" He walked up to her, placing a hand on her should as he walked around her. Like an animal circling its prey. "Do you like being punished? Does Bruce ever punish you for being a naughty girl?" He was laughing wildly again and Cindy's face was heating up. "Wh-What? No!" Joker smirked, leaning in so their noses were almost touching. "I think you do. You just love to be pushed around my a big strong man don't you?" Cindy scowled, sick and tired of this.

Deciding to just go for it, Cindy bit down on whatever was closest. It happened to be Jokers nose and he shoved her back, chair falling with Cindy still attached. She could taste blood in her mouth and was spitting on to the floor, trying to get the taste out. Taking a deep breath after getting as much out of her mouth as she could Cindy was terrified by what she heard. Nothing. It was dead silence. Cindy didn't think she had ever heard a silence quite like this before.

Shouting out in pain, Cindy felt herself and the chair being dragged back upright by her hair. "You little bitch..." Joker growled at her, slapping her across the face once she was sitting up again. "If you thought you were in trouble before, you just wait..." Cindy's eyes were wide with fear. Why had she done that? She really shouldn't have done that. Joker was close in front of her again, tip of his nose bleeding. He knew she wouldn't pull any shit like that again, but... Something was familiar. He had seen an expression like that before. Then it clicked, and the dark mocking laughter started again.

"How many people have told you you look just like your pop." Cindy blinked, barely understanding what he was saying. Her Pop? Her Dad? What about her Dad? "Old... Alex, right? Boy he must have been fun to live with. You just like him... Just like he did, right before I shot him." That was when Cindy snapped back to reality. "Wh-What?" She may have hated her father, but... It was her dad. And his death had really hit her hard when it first happened. Joker laughed. "Oh, you didn't know it was me? Yeah I killed him. I remember it so well. He was on his knees. Crying, begging for mercy. Like the dog he was. And you know what I did?"

Cindy bit her lip, trying to hold back tears. All of these repressed emotions were starting to resurface. "Hey." He smacked her cheek, wanting her to respond. "I said you know what I did?" Cindy swallowed the lump in her throat, gently shaking her head no. Joker grinned. "I BLEW HIS HEAD OFF!" She pointed his finger at her forehead like a gun. "BANG!" He continued to laugh and Cindy was shaking, tears starting to spill from her eyes.

"Of course that was when she started to scream. And god, do I HATE hearing a woman scream. So you know what I did next?" Cindy didn't even react this time. "Very good. I blew her skull open too." Joker listened, hearing her cry in the darkness. "Oh shh, shh... Don't cry. It's not so bad. No, what I did to your sister was much, much worse." Cindy was shaking even harder now. "Wh-What? What did you do to her!" Her sorrow was beginning to turn to rage as he mentioned her sister.

Joker smirked. "Well, I can't say me. It was more of my men. Not really their fault. She just looked like some run of the mill whore. I mean, that's what she was, right? A whore? Well anyway, the boys got a little... Rough with her. She didn't like it. Not. One. Bit. So, when she started to fight back and run, well... They got a little crazy. Only took them a couple minutes to beat her to death with their bare hands..." That was the last straw for Cindy.

"You bastard!" She screamed, thrashing in her chair. She didn't even care if she fell over. She was sobbing, full of anger, frustration, hate, and sorrow. Joker just laughed, wrapping a cloth around Cindys mouth. "Now calm down dear. Your suffering is almost over. Just remember, it has to get worse before it can better. But rest assured, it will end." He chuckled, his lips by her ear now. "I like the idea of having a, uh... Complete set as it were." Then it sunk in. Cindy knew, through the laughter surrounding her, that she was going to die tonight.

((Pretty dark and twisted I know. And here's the best part, round 2 is about to begin ;] REMEMBER. COMMENT.))


	16. Chapter 16

((WARNING: Torture :P That sums it up.))

Joker smirked, tightening the cloth around Cindy's mouth to the point where the skin on the corners of her mouth were burning. "There... That should do it." Joker smirked, circling again like the predator he was. "Oh, by the way. You can scream all you want. That doesn't mean anyone is going to hear you." Cindy shuddered, struggling against the ropes again. They were starting to cut into her skin and rub her flesh raw. Joker smirked, walking away from her back into the darkness. "So what shall we start off with first my dear! There are so many delicious methods of torture, it's quite challenging to just pick one. Ah. Here, we are. I bet your father used this one on you quite a lot."

Cindy heard a quit smack echo through the warehouse. The noise persisted, getting louder and louder as time passed. Even though Cindy knew she hadn't been sitting there alone all that long, but it felt like an eternity. And that damned noise, what was it! Then Joker returned out of the shadows and Cindy's eyes widened, seeing... A paddle. Just a wooden paddle. But Joker kept smacking it against his hand, eyeing Cindy like a sack of meat. "This will be fun..." Joker grinned, laughing at the expression of fear on her face.

"What's wrong buttercup? Do you and Brucey not get this... Kinky?" He grinned and swung the paddle hard, smacking her in the stomach. Cindy couldn't even make a noise of pain as the wind got knocked out of her. That maniacal laughter continued to fill her ears. "Aww, what's wrong Cynthia?" He smacked her again on the sin. "Cat got your tongue?" Cindy could already feel bruises start to form as the paddle swung down on her shins, her stomach, her arms, her sides. Joker stopped suddenly, frowning. "Damn it... This chair is in my way..."

Leaning forward, he pulled a knife out of his pocket and cut the ropes. Once Cindy felt she was free, she booked it. She didn't care where the exit was or which way she was going, she was just going to get away from here. Joker scowled. "You know, cat and mouse games are fun, but I'm not in the mood for a chase." She could hear the beating of footsteps behind her and Cindy just started to run faster. Come on... She was in track for a reason. She was born to be a runner.

But runners were only as good as they could see. And Cindy was blind as a bat in here.

That's why Cindy ran head on into a table. She flipped over the table, feeling it land on her ankle. She screamed out in pain, the table made of metal. She doubted she would be able to walk on it. And... Why were her hands wet? Suddenly lights flooded the warehouse and Cindy was blinded, covering her eyes with her hands. Once her eyes adjusted she screamed again at what she saw.

Scattered all across the floor were different knives. All different shapes and sizes... They had been on the table, and there were a few that had fresh blood on them. Looking down, Cindy realized it was her own. Her hands, legs, even her stomach had acquired a few random gashes from all of the knives. "You..." She heard muttered behind her. Turning her head around she saw Joker standing there, looking furious. "You... Knocked over... My... KNIVES!" Grabbing the closest one, Joker rushed forward, pinning Cindy to the ground.

"Well, I wanted this to be a fun little game, but it looks like we're going to have to cut it short. Now for the real punishment..." Cindy shut her eyes, heart racing and ready to beat out of her chest. Then she heard the knife drop and Joker began to laugh normally again. Or, normally for him. Opening one of her eyes just a crack, she saw a tall dark figure standing behind the Joker. Joker stood up, dusting himself off. "Why are you always cutting in on my dates Batty?" He turned around when Batman punched Joker, nailing him in the jaw and sending him sprawling back across the floor and his precious knives.

Joker just kept laughing. "You really think I'm going down without a fight Batboy!" Batman held his customary scowl. "I don't have time to fight you Joker." Dropping a small metal container, a gas began to fill the room, and an air mask popped down from Batmans cowl. Joker was out like a light and Cindy slowly felt her eyes shutting as the gas took affect on her as well.

Cindy opened her eyes slowly, bright lights immediately blinding her. Letting out a small noise of pain, she turned her head away, shutting her eyes tightly. "Alfred! She's awake!" Bruce called and Cindy made another noise. "Not so loud..." Her head was pounding, almost like a hangover, but Cindy knew she hadn't been drunk. Had she? Opening her eyes, she looked up to see Bruce and Alfred hanging over her. Bruce smiled and gently took her hand. "God, Cindy, you scared us both for a second."

She looked at them both with a frown. "What happened?" Alfred smiled kindly at her. "We could ask the same as you Miss." Bruce smirked, kissing her forehead. "Batman was kind enough to drop you off after you went missing. How did he get you out of there? You were out cold for a long time." Cindy frowned, slowly remembering what had happened earlier. "A... A gas... My head is killing me..." Bruce chuckled softly, gently stroking her hair. "Go back to sleep then love. We'll be here when you wake up."

Nodding slowly, Cindy shut her eyes and fell asleep instantly. Bruce sighed heavily. "That was close Alfred... Too close..." Alfred nodded with a frown. "Is it time you told her Master Bruce?" Bruce shook his head. "No. No, I can't. She's already in enough danger because of her past and the fact she knows Bruce Wayne. If she were to get mixed up with Batman..." Alfred frowned. "Well the more times Batman rescues her, the more people are going to associate the two of them." Bruce scowled. "Just let me figure it out Alfred!" He sighed. "I just need more time..."

(Dun dun dun! Sorry if it wasn't as good as the last chapter. Last for the night, hopefully I can write more tomorrow! We'll see!)


	17. Chapter 17

((This is so short and I bet you all hate me for taking so long T-T. But I've been preparing for an acting camp at a new york conservatory. This is short, it's a cliff hanger, and now I shall wow you all.))

Cindy opened her eyes, expecting herself to be in her bedroom at Wayne Manor, but... No... Where was she? The room was... White. Painfully white, so painful that Cindy had to squint. Going to sit up, she realized she was restrained down. A door was flung open and a man dressed in pure white walked in. His face was covered and he appeared to be a doctor. But then that laugh... Oh god, THAT laugh. Cindy began to thrash wildly upon recognition, screaming as loud as she can as if she hoped that her screams could drown his terrible laugh.

But no, the sound kept echoing through her ears. And that was when she felt the cold steel against her cheek. Opening her eyes, the mask had been removed and the yellow teeth and red lips grinned down at her with a knife in his hand. "Let's put a smile on that face." Cindy shot up from where she was laying, drenched in sweat. Steadying her breathing, Cindy closed her eyes, but only for a split second as the images flashed before her. "Only a dream Cindy... It's only a dream..." She muttered.

"And they say I'm crazy..." A voice muttered. Cindy tensed up, looking around. This wasn't her bedroom. This was yet another place she didn't know of. And that same damned voice... Wait, it was just another dream. What did they call that... Inception? A dream within a dream? Cindy could sit this out, she had dealt with bad dreams her whole life. Taking a deep breath, Cindy just curled up in a ball and shut her eyes. Eventually the bad dream would run it's course and she would wake up safe and sound and return to Bruce.

"What the hell are you doing?" The voice asked again. Cindy frowned. She could talk to this nightmare... Couldn't she? "This is all just a bad dream. If I ignore it long enough, I will wake up and be home. Safe." And that laugh. Even though Cindy knew she was dreaming, it still made her shudder. "If was a dream sweet cheeks, could I do... This?" And Cindy winced as she felt rough fingers scratch down her back. Jumping up and off the... Table that she had been laying on, Cindy looked at him. "What are you doing!" Joker grinned. "Proving to you this isn't a dream."

Cindy scowled, her lips going into a slight pout. No, this was a dream. And she just had to wait it out. "No. It is. You would try and convince me this is real, but I know it's not. I'm at home, sleeping. And I'll walk up and get to have a normal breakfast with my boyfriend." Joker laughed. "Normal! Tell me sweetheart, what's so normal about living with a playboy?" Cindy scowled, shutting her eyes tightly. "I want to wake up..." She muttered under her breath. Joker only continued to laugh. "How have I not run into you at Arkham?"

Stamping her foot in frustration, Cindy turned and began to wander. If she was going to be trapped here for the course of the dream, she may as well get familiar with it. Then a hand gripped her upper arm tightly. "Oh not so fast darling..." hot breath whispered into her ear. "Your act was cute at first, but now it's getting ridiculous. Do you really WANT me to prove to you that you're wide awake?" Cindy blinked, feeling his fingers tighten on her skin. "If you don't answer me, I'll have to answer for you..." Chewing on her lip, Cindy felt her throat close up and was unsure if she could make a sound. But what came out not only shocked Joker, but shocked herself too. "Do your worst."

((Once again, SO SORRY!))


	18. Chapter 18

((So these next few chapters are going to be shorter than average, simply because this is going to be a series of torture days.))

That's when the arm got snapped behind her back, and Cindy felt her body pressed up against another body behind her. "Are you sure you really want that dearie?" Cindy felt her arm getting bent back more and she clenched her jaw, back naturally arching from the strain. Tears were welling in her eyes, and Cindy had to fight to not scream out. "I asked you a question..." The Joker growled again, bringing her arm back farther and farther until Cindy thought it would just snap. And it did. That was when she began to scream.

Maniacal laughter mixed with her screams as her broken arm began to be twisted around. "Still dreaming love? Why don't you wake up then!" Cindy could hardly believe the pain she was feeling in this instance. "P-Please! Stop!" And that horrendous laughter simply continued. "Oh honey, we're just getting started!" Cindy felt her back being roughly shoved, and she was stumbled up against a wall across from her. That same tight grip grabbed her arms and all of a sudden, her hands were above her head, and she couldn't move them back down again.

What was going on? Looking up, she saw a pair of cuffs attached to the wall, that Cindy was now attached to. It was killing her broken arm, but what was worse was that she couldn't turn around or run. How did she get away? "Let me go! What did I to you!" Cindy just didn't know how to handle this situation. She had done nothing. NOTHING, to deserve this torture. And that laughter... It just kept echoing around her, and she felt the cold steel against the back of her neck. "It would be so easy... To just end you right now... But where is the fun in that?"

The blade slowly moved down her back, and Cindy felt her shirt being slit open and her skin began to flush. "Wh-What? What are you doing?" Joker continued to laugh. "Whats wrong? Are you scared?" She felt his body close to hers, the fabric of his jacket against his. "You should be..." He whispered and Cindy felt a shudder up her spine. And the newest feeling against her spine was a searing pain. Screaming out, Cindy heard the crack of the whip on the ground behind her before it smacked against her skin again.

"Now... How many of these should we do? How about your precious little billionaire... How many letters are in his name? It's a... B." Crack. "R" Crack. "U" Crack. "C" with every crack of the whip, Cindy shouted out and could feel the blood going down her back. At least it was over, Bruce was a short name. "A." Crack. "N." Crack. What? Cindy's mind was racing a mile a minute. His middle name! Cindy didn't even know his middle name! But she would now... "W" Crack. "A" Crack. Cindy was bawling, trying to hold onto sanity. Three more... She could survive three more. "E." ... And nothing.

That was eleven, but it should be twelve. Not that Cindy really wanted that extra lash, but why did he stop. And she heard a little pop behind her, like a bottle being opened, and the sound of someone taking a drink. "God... That was a workout, want some?" And if Cindy thought the pain in her back was hard to handle then, it was horrible now. The liquid poured over her shoulders and seeped into her wounds, making her scream even louder. She recognized the smell anywhere, considering it had been her fathers drink of choice. And a cold fresh beer in her open wounds was bring Cindy to the brink of darkness.

Joker just kept that same damned cackle. "Ah, what's wrong? Beer not your favorite?" Cindy just continued to cry, not needing to scream when no new pain was inflicted upon her. Then the hand came around, and Cindy felt the rag against her mouth. Before she even had time to put two and two together, a deep darkness enclosed Cindy's mind and she went into the deep sleep that brought her shelter from the pain.

But the fun had only just begun.

((BUM BUM BUM. Cliffhanger #2))


	19. Chapter 19

Cindy woke up in a groggy state, rolling over under the covers. Covers? She looked around, not sitting up yet. She was in that same white room, in a pure white bed as well. Why was everything so white? It was frightening how... Clean it all was. Sitting up, Cindy inhaled sharply, feeling the tightness in her back. Everything was starting to rush back to her. Her arm being broken, the whipping, the alcohol... Her arm was in a sling, and... Using her good arm to reach behind her, she felt that her back was covered in some sort of cream, and winced as she felt her hand on a cut.

Looking around, Cindy didn't see Joker. That of course frightened her more than him being right in front of her. So where was he? And the darkness surrounded her again, but this time she wasn't... Unconscious. It was just dark. She reached out and felt herself being pulled out of the bed by her good arm, and Cindy dug in her heels. She didn't know who this was or what they wanted, so she wouldn't go. Then they took hold of her broken arm.

With a shout of pain, Cindy stumbled after this mysterious person. "H-Hello?" And there it was... That chuckle that made Cindy try to go in the opposite direction, but when she went to move, her feet didn't move at all. They just wouldn't move. She tried to bend down to figure out why, when both arms were pulled into god knows what that stopped her from moving. Even the broken arm, and more pain shot through her body. "What are you doing?" The drugs hadn't worn off yet, but the pain was still great. And if a whip had been bad...

Something went crashing into her side. Cindy didn't know what it was, but Cindy didn't even know she could scream that loud. It was so loud, Cindy couldn't even hear laughter around her, though she knew it was there. How long the thing was going into her side, Cindy didn't really know. But once it had stopped, Cindy could barely breathe, the pain was so immense. She had to have broken ribs now. "Tsk tsk..." Joker said, and Cindy was unsure where the sound came from. "Ribs broken on both sides, but only one arm is broken. That's not very... Symmetrical." And that thing smashed into Cindy's good wrist, and Cindy felt it snap instantly. "Oh wait... Do I even like symmetry? I don't. Better fix that!" The blindfold was ripped off, and light flooded Cindy's eyes before a flash of silver smashed her eye and darkness came around her again.

Cindy was awake, but refused to open her eyes. She had begun to learn quickly that if she wasn't awake, she was left alone. And when she tried to open her eyes... Well, only one would open. And everything hurt... Except her legs. That caused another fear. What would be next? Cindy had a feeling she already knew.

And then the covers were ripped off whatever bed she had been placed in. "Goodmorning starshine! The earth says... GET THE HELL OUT OF BED!" Cindy opened one eye, looking up at the grinning mad men above her. Maybe if she just laid there so pitifully, he would leave her alone. Or maybe just take her out of her misery... And it was almost like he could read her thoughts. "Calm down love, I'm not going to kill you. That wouldn't be any fun, no I'm waiting for the bat brain to find you. Make you a message that no matter how rich you are, you aren't safe."

Cindy frowned. "R-Rich?" She stammered out, her mouth dry. She couldn't remember the last time she ate or drank. Joker just laughed. "Oh, you spoiled upper crust brats. Not even realizing what you have." Cindy frowned and shut her eyes. People thought she was rich? Far from it. "You're crazy..." She muttered under her breath, and that was another mistake to be made.

She was up out of bed, a broken shoulder, a broken wrist, broken ribs, and a black eye swollen shut. And being held up to the wall by... Her shoulders? Her body was practically numb from everything and Joker frowned. "I'm what? You know, I don't want to play with you anymore. You're an awfully rude guest. So I'll just give you one last little parting gift." Cindy hoped it wouldn't be as bad as everything else, and thankfully it wasn't. Didn't mean it still wasn't painful. When the blade of the knife went into her thigh and slowly, jaggedly moved down her flesh. "And remember. Asymmetry." Cindy saw the light tunnel in, and passed out again.

Joker sighed heavily, dropping her body to the floor. "It's no fun when Batbrain doesn't show..."

"Who said he didn't?" Joker turned to face the Batman, but he wasn't even there, and Joker too slipped into the abyss as the escrima stick smacked the back of his head. So now Batman was left with two unconscious bodies, both in critical condition.

((Am I winning back favor with three chapters in a row? :D))


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